Hell or High Water
by JenovaII
Summary: Reluctantly, Chell returns to Aperture. Turrets call out to her, and GLaDOS is missing. A locked room holds the answer - but is it a trap?
1. The Trap

The driving rain thundered angrily against the roof of the tin shed. Underneath the overhang, Chell had collapsed, wet, cold, and exhausted beyond all belief. It had been days since she'd found food, days since she'd slept. She was fortunate enough to find a little stream where fresh water flowed, but the strange creatures that occupied that space - large, bipedal squidlike things that shot sticky, fetid masses of goo - allowed her no rest or reprieve. She didn't want to return to Aperture, to that aggressive AI who wanted her for nothing more than insults and amusement, but deep down she knew she had no other choice.

She had been sitting in the wet mud for several minutes now, inexplicably hesitant to try the door. The shed's overhang offered little protection from the rain, and a cold blast of wind announced the approaching night. Giving a resigning sigh, she raised a weary hand to knock on the metal door, fully aware that GLaDOS's cameras had probably already alerted the crazed computer of her presence. Chell jumped as the door swung open of its own accord. Peeking inside, she saw an awaiting cylindrical elevator, prepped for her downwards ride.

She pulled herself out of the mud and to her feet, propping herself on the door frame. This could be - probably was - a trap, but she was still wearing her long-fall boots. A big, fast trip downward would not be enough to kill her.

After all, that's what the neurotoxin was for.

Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. Those creatures in the woods granted her no mercy, and she'd prefer neurotoxin any day rather than that thing that looked like a plucked turkey and had tried to eat her face.

She boarded the elevator, leaning against the glass wall for support. The doors slid shut, and soon she was on her way down. There were no happy turrets to greet her with song and jollity this time; the area where they'd once stood was now dark and cold.

The elevator continued, faster. She gripped the metal poles at her waist, shutting her eyes tightly and hoping against hope that GLaDOS would give her a few precious moments of survival before trying to kill her.

"Don't come back." That's what she'd said last time, and Chell knew she'd meant it.

She was jolted, nearly to her knees, as the elevator suddenly slowed to a crawl. Gradually, GLaDOS's chamber came into view, a horrid dome that housed memories of lunar dust, bombs, fire, and cores. She could still smell the remnants of neurotoxin. As the whole of the chamber appeared, a hoarse gasp squeezed through Chell's fractured vocal chords.

GLaDOS was gone.

Gone. That massive, sixteen-foot, two-ton AI had completely vanished. Not a single scrap of metal facing, not one slender wire remained. On the spot where the gigantic chassis had once been bound to the ceiling was a round, rust-colored stain, the only indication that anything had been there at all.

Chell realized, as the elevator stopped, that her mouth was still open in shock. Self-consciously, she checked for cameras on the walls. Surely, wherever GLaDOS had relocated herself, she was laughing at the sight. "Catching flies?" she might say. Or "You look ridiculous with your face like that. I hope it freezes that way." Something along that vein. Chell expected her voice through the wall speakers at any moment. The only noise, however, was an empty wind that echoed through the air of the macrocosmic void beyond the chamber.

On the far side, a door opened; a passage out. This was Chell's fourth - well, fifth, if one considered her brief tour into outer space - visit to this very place. Even in its most decrepit state, she had recognized the hallways around the chamber, just as she knew them now. Not even Wheatley's influence would change the basic grammar of the architecture.

She stepped out into the hall and was surprised to discover the return of the antiiseptic white walls of an office building. An array of doors littered the hall, as though people going about their daily office work still occupied the building. There were several clicks, each door giving a jump as the locks turned.

Chell's trigger finger twitched. More than ever, she wished for that ten pounds of weight strapped to her arm. GLaDOS had tried to kill her. Wheatley had turned against her. Even the Companion Cube had offered no help against the outside elements. But the ASHPD had never let her down. Unfortunately, it was now orbiting the planet alongside Wheatley, that space-loving core, and that annoying green core that had spent way too much time admiring her chest.

She cautiously stepped up to the first door, standing to the side in case something nasty jumped at her. She'd had more than enough of that on the outside. Her fingers grazed the handle of the door long enough to push it wide open. The light from the hallway was not enough to illuminate the room, but a swath of red light and a whirring mechanical noise told her enough.

A turret. And her with out the ASHPD. She grit her teeth and dashed past the open doorway. The red light hit her. She almost felt the heat of it as it whooshed past her face. The turret's sideguns opened; she heard them open. Instead of rapid-fire bullets, the calm, child-like voice of the turret called out.

"Hey! It's Chell!"

A cry of surprise rose in her throat, only to be transformed into a hollow squeak. She stopped so quickly that she almost toppled over. Did that turret just call her name?

She poked her head back in the doorway. The turret's laser tracked her, coming to rest squarely on her forehead. Its little gun-arms wiggled excitedly.

"Hi, Chell!"

She retracted, unsure if the turret still meant her harm. It was best to leave it be, she decided, and continued down the hallway. But the turret's announcement had activated the others, and from all the rooms around her, she heard their welcoming cries.

"She's back!"

"It's her!"

"Oh, Chell! It's you!"

Weird. This was weird. She shot down the hallway at full speed as all of the doors opened at once. Turning the corner, she found another hallway, and a barrage of clicks echoed as these doors began to open, too. Curiosity gave way to visceral fear as she turned down hall after hall only to find the same results. They never fired a single bullet. They never begged her to come back or claimed that their target was lost. They only greeted her, welcomed her back, announced her presence to the others.

Her hands clenched as if to grip the familiar weight and curve of her ASHPD. Where was GLaDOS? What was she planning? It must be one hell of a trap if she went through this much effort. Chell's jaw tightened as the possibilities played through her mind.

She quickly rounded another corner, fearful but expectant of yet another hallway. This time, however, she found only a short corridor. It branched off to the right, and down that hallway Chell could already hear the unnervingly joyous cries of the turrets. A few feet from the detour was a set of large double doors. A placard above the doors read "Conference Room."

Chell took a moment to catch her breath before approaching the double doors. This was it. This was the trap. Probably a bunch of turrets that really did shoot at her, or perhaps rocket launchers. Or both. Or spike plates. Lasers. Acid. Trapdoors. Anything. Chell put her ear against the door, listening for the familiar hiss of lasers, the slosh of acid, or the whirring of turrets.

"...we've only got one chance at this. Keep everything hidden; I don't want her finding out what we're planning. I swear, if you two fail me this time, I really _will_ permanently disassemble you."

It was muffled, far off, and somehow stranger that last she'd heard it, but Chell knew that voice definitely belonged to GLaDOS. Chell tried the knob, rattling it noisily. Locked. The conversation within the room halted almost immediately, save a harsh whisper of "GO!" from GLaDOS.

Chell listened for a moment, hearing only the calls of turrets down the hall and silence from the room. She rattled the knob again, more aggressively this time, shaking the doors so hard that they banged. After no reply, she pounded with a clenched fist. Still no answer. She pressed her ear to the door again, barely making out a light shifting sound within.

Chell's mouth tightened. What was going on? If this was a trap, why didn't GLaDOS want her in here? If it wasn't a trap, why would GLaDOS be in there in the first place? Regardless, Chell _was_ getting into this room. She raised a leg, giving one of the doors a violent kick. Her fatigue now forgotten, she was running partially on curiosity and partially from the paranoid adrenaline speeding through her bloodstream. She kicked again, making a crack in the wooden door with the heel of her boot.

The door went inward as if pulled, and Chell lowered her foot as a lock bolt turned. She stepped forward to bust her way in, but the sudden appearance of a woman's face made her pause. The woman was pale, almost abhorrently so, with strange, cracked lines, like old porcelain, running along her face. Her black hair seemed endless, and it streamed down her pale face and even out through the doorway as if it were a sentient, inky miasma. Her eyes shone like gold coins, glaring with malice and annoyance.

"What?" she sighed impatiently, and Chell's eyes widened as she realized exactly who and what she saw. Chell took a step forward, extending her hand to prove that what she saw was real. The cold glare on GLaDOS's newly-acquired face and the golden eyes switching from Chell to her outreached hand and back told Chell that any loss to that curious extremity would be the mute's own fault.

Chell wisely retracted her hand.

GLaDOS wrinkled her nose. "Great. Not only have you come back to bother me, you have to come back smelling like a wet dog. What's the matter? Didn't they have showers out there in the free world?"

Chell's narrowed eyebrows was her only response.

"Really, you should just admit it. You missed it here, didn't you? Or was it just too hard for you out there? Ever wonder why I tested you so much? To prepare you. But I guess you failed after all."

Chell scowled.

"Well," GLaDOS let out another sigh. Chell stepped forward, and GLaDOS pulled the door in a little, as if guarding the room. She scowled before continuing. "Well, I can't have you stinking up the place if you're going to be living here. Go down that hallway to the Activity Center. Hopefully you'll know what to do there. Take all the time you need - a few hours will do. That _is_ quite a smell, after all. When you're done, come back here. I have a test - ah, a trap – _a surprise_...for you."

Grimacing, Chell started down the branching hallway, where the turrets were still singing her praise. GLaDOS grunted in annoyance, and Chell turned to find her inspecting the damage where Chell had kicked the door. GLaDOS glared up at her.

"_Do_ try not to destroy the facility this time. I did just renovate the place. Again."

She slammed the door. Slighted, Chell huffed. If she had one ounce of sense, she would go back to the empty chamber, board the elevator, and try her hand at eking out an existence in the wild. No matter what had been said before, GLaDOS was not her friend and would most likely never be. That AI would be the death of her one day, and that day was most likely today.

However, against her better judgment, Chell found herself walking quickly down the branching hallway, trying to ignore the turrets. She soon found the entrance to the Activity Center, an old, rusty door half off its hinges and coated in dust and cobwebs.

Chell slowly urged the door open and reached for a light switch. A dim fluorescent flickered on and twittered intermittently. The Activity Center, it turned out, was an old and extremely unused gym. All sorts of equipment lay covered with dust – rowing machines, dumbbells, treadmills – all seemingly brand new. As per the standard in gyms, one wall had been covered by a mirror, this one marred by dust and oily smears.

A bright light came from the back, and Chell discovered a generously large shower room. The blue-and-white wall tiles looked freshly scrubbed, and not a single cobweb was strewn from any corner. Soap, shampoo, a razor, and a clean, white towel were laid on a bench, as if Chell was expected.

She frowned, checking the walls for vents before stepping in. Perhaps this was the trap. Catching her at her most vulnerable so she'd be completely at GLaDOS's mercy; that seemed like her style. Chell eyed each shower cautiously. Three of the four stalls had rusted or corroded metal pipes, and turning the knobs only resulted in a harsh squeal as water merely attempted to flow. The first stall had shiny new plumbing. Chell stood back as she turned the knob, making sure it was _really _water that poured through.

It _was_ real water. Real, warm, clean water.

Chell wanted nothing more than to dive right into it, scrub off years of sweat and grime. There was still a possibility that the whole thing was rigged to kill her, though, and she double-checked and triple-checked all the walls, doors, pipes, and even the hooks on the walls. She found nothing, not even a camera. It wasn't safe – nothing involving GLaDOS was ever _really_ safe – but she felt secure enough to attempt a shower.

She picked at the hard, mud-crusted knot at her waist in a struggle to untie the jumpsuit's arms, feeling slight guilt but also a rise of devilish glee at the mess she was making on the pristine floors. She unhooked her boots, sliding them off and placing them carefully on the bench. No longer possessing the ASHPD, the long-fall boots were her only defense, and she was determined to be mindful of them.

Chell slid off her jumpsuit – dear God, it was finally _off_! - and peeled off her tank top. It reeked of sweat and river mud. She gathered the clothes together, wondering if there was enough soap to clean those as well. They were the only things she had to wear, after all.

Removing the rest of her clothing, she gathered the soap and shampoo and began her task. Muddy water swirled down the drain as she struggled to pull out her ponytail. The wrap had stuck, and a good amount of hair came with it when she finally tore it away. Disappointingly, her hair maintained the ponytail shape until the water melted it back to its original softness.

The shampoo was of good quality and smelled of flowers. Real salon-like stuff. The soap was good, too. A plethora of relieved sighs escaped her as the filthy brown water spilling off of her started to clear. A thousand pounds of dead weight had been lifted away.

A strange noise broke her zen. She cautiously peeked out of the shower stall and was surprised to see a tall construct sneaking around. It had a long, oval body, like a turret, and orange decorations and stripes were painted in a random fashion over its twiglike arms and legs. She recognized it as one of the robots she'd woken to after GLaDOS had pulled her in from space.

It noticed her. She slid halfway back behind the stall, brows furrowed, watching with suspicion. However, it only raised its hand and waved, spouting out a grainy and barely discernible "Hi!" Caught off-guard, Chell returned an awkward wave. She then noticed it held in its other hand a large and misshapen lump of paper. It dropped its parcel on the bench and walked away without further address or conflict.

Chell returned to the warm shield of water, her nerves now on edge. She finished cleaning herself, peeking out again to make sure the area was clear before emerging. Wrapping herself in the towel, she stared at the lump the robot had left. It was white copier paper, crudely folded around something and randomly taped together. A long, red wire wrapped around it one way then the other, finally ending in a tied bow.

Like a present.

She prodded it warily with a finger. Whatever was in it was soft. She gingerly picked it up, and as soon as she lifted it, its contents dumped out onto the bench. Instinctively, she jumped back, expecting some sort of bomb or goo or even one of those headsucking things from outside. Instead, it was a folded pile of orange fabric.

Chell chewed her lip. Another jumpsuit? Did GLaDOS expect her to test again? She pulled the fabric up. Other objects fell out of the folds, but the garment itself held Chell's attention. Instead of a dumpy, standard-issue jumpsuit, she found a lovely orange sundress. Something fell off of the bench onto the floor, making a hard sound on the tile. Chell looked down and saw a pair of matching orange slippers.

She wasn't normally the dress-wearing type, even before Aperture, but merely holding up the garment stirred something within her. Questions, mostly. If it wasn't a jumpsuit, how was she supposed to test? Testing _was_ the main objective in this madhouse; Chell had learned that the hard way. All of this was still a trap – wasn't it?

Chell wasn't going to argue. Not while she was naked, at least. The other items that had dropped were standard-issue undergarments, and Chell was glad to see them. Though she still had reservations about wearing a dress, it was at least clean. She found it a little loose but otherwise a perfect fit. Almost too perfect.

The choice now came between her beloved long-fall boots and the new slippers she'd been given. Almost jokingly, she tried the slippers on. They were deliciously light and comfortable and again the perfect size. She trotted clumsily around in them, unable to remember the last time she'd worn flat shoes. Curiosity got the better of her, and she went back into the dingy gym, remembering the long mirror-wall on one side.

She didn't recognize the woman in the orange dress staring back at her. No shower in the world could wash away the dark circles under her icy eyes, the scars below her knees where the first long-fall braces had been installed, and the scant lines of stress-induced gray that painted her dark brown, shoulder-length hair. Somehow, even with these flaws, even though she knew she wasn't the best-looking woman in the world, she smiled at her own image and felt a surge of pride in her chest. This was the woman who had twice defeated GLaDOS, who had defeated Wheatley in his madness, who had conquered Aperture and lived. A bullheaded, tenacious success of a woman. This was _her_.

Even if she _was_ wearing a dress.

Chell finally decided to wear the long-fall boots instead of the slippers. She was more accustomed to their fit. Besides, she was still clinging to the idea that this was a trap and that she'd better be prepared for the worst. Hoping enough time had elapsed, she returned down the hallway back to the Conference Room.

This time, the hallway was silent. She stopped after the first two open doorways, peeking inside a third. No laser. No red eye. She flipped on the light, revealing nothing but a desk and a rolling chair.

Chell frowned, returning to the hallway. Even with all the scrubbing, she knew she couldn't have taken more than forty-five minutes. She didn't want to make GLaDOS wait too long.

She stopped, scoffing at herself and rolling her eyes. When did GLaDOS's patience matter? That 'immortal' AI could wait for the end of the world.

Still, didn't GLaDOS let her back in? She remembered the high scent of wet, molding wheat in the air as she'd trudged through the field, hoping with every fiber of her being that the shed would be open. And GLaDOS had provided her with a shower and clothes – new clothes, at that. The turrets hadn't fired at her. Nothing had tried yet to kill her. GLaDOS's words had been vitriolic, but wouldn't it have been more suspicious to hear that strange, sarcastic sweetness in her voice?

She found herself at the Conference Room doors once again. Raising a curled fist, she gently knocked. The door slowly opened, and Chell stepped into the black room. The door automatically closed behind her. She stood still and listened, hearing only the faint sound of rustling paper.

The lights flashed on. From the ceiling sounded a loud, deep boom. Chell instinctively flinched, but her eyes shot wide as she saw the strips of sparkling silver float from the ceiling like shimmering snow. Through the confetti, Chell saw an assortment of mechanica – turrets, cubes, cores, the robot that had visited her in the shower, and its companion robot bedecked in blue. In the middle of them all was GLaDOS, a devious and triumphant grin on her face. Behind everyone was a large banner plastered to the wall, displaying a message sloppily written in blue Repulsion Gel:

WELCOME BACK CHELL

"I told you I saved the good stuff," said GLaDOS, stepping forward and catching a bit of confetti. She flicked it towards Chell, and it fluttered harmlessly to the ground. "Our last bag. Just for you."

Chell just stared in shock.

"I made you that dress, too. Had to pull so many files from the cameras to get your appropriate size. Of course, I had to consult _her_ for sewing tips." GLaDOS tightened her jaw, rolling her eyes at the mention of Caroline. "Not the sort of thing I usually undertake. But I see it was worth the hassle. It looks very good on you."

The odd sincerity in the AI's voice made Chell's heart flutter.

GLaDOS let out a short, exasperated sigh. "But then you had to wear those boots..."

Chell smirked. No complement without an insult; that was GLaDOS, all right.

GLaDOS snapped her fingers, and the tall, orange, turret-robot pulled a large white sphere from behind a stack of Weighted Storage Cubes. The robot handed it to Chell, and she noticed that it was, like her clothes had been, hastily wrapped in copier paper. She turned it over in her hands to inspect it, mindful of the poor wrapping job.

It suddenly shifted and began twitching in her hands, its weight shifting wildly as something inside of it started grinding and moving. Chell squeaked in surprise, air rushing past her strained vocal chords like a bow on an out-of-tune violin, and she very nearly dropped the large ball. As she reaffirmed her grip on it, a piece of paper tore away, and a bright blue optic, cracked down the middle, rolled around to stare up at her.

It couldn't be.

She let out another squeak, tearing off the paper. The core sat in her hands, the same way he had done just a week and a half before. His bottom shutter rose halfway, giving him a happy expression, and he bobbed and churned around with excitement. The variance of his expressions told her he should be speaking, but no noise came from him. Chell tilted her head, worried and confused.

GLaDOS shook her head and sighed. She raised a hand, and the jittering core flew into her outstretched palm, the blue light of his optic shrinking to a pinprick as he realized who was holding him.

"I had to turn his speakers off," she explained apologetically. "You know how much he loves to hear himself talk, and I couldn't have the little moron ruining your surprise."

Wheatley's expression turned angry as GLaDOS fiddled with something on the core's back. A switch clicked, and his irritated voice echoed through the conference room. "-NOT A MORON!" His optic pinpricked again, and it was GLaDOS's turn to look slighted. "OH! S-sorry, luv! Didn't know I was back on. Heh."

"Whatever." GLaDOS nonchalantly tossed him back to Chell.

"Oh!" he cried happily as she scooped him in her arms, "you caught me this time! I mean, I knew you would. Would have the firs' time, too, I bet, if you'd had enough warnin'. But you didn't. Didn't catch me. Back then. A-anyway, I wanna say somethin' to ya. Somethin' I've been thinkin' of all the past week, when I was in space, where you put – no, where _I_ put myself. With my own actions. Deserved it. Yes. Deserved a little trip out there. Head-clearing trip. Nice little time-out, away from all the madness and testing and the...the itch."

"Get on with it," GLaDOS sighed under her breath.

Wheatley rattled a little; Chell was unsure whether it was in anger or fear. "Anyway, just wanted to say that I was a terrible friend. Just terrible – a terrible friend, terrible ally, all around just pretty awful. And I'm sorry. So very, very sorry. I hope you find it possible, in that wonderful, big ol' lovely, squishy human heart of yours to forgive me. For – for being so terrible and awful to you. And I hope that – AWK!"

He was silenced as Chell held him tight against her chest. Prickles of tears threatened at her eyes, and she shut them tightly to prevent their release. For the longest time, she simply embraced him, still awestruck at the fact that he was _here_.

"Um, luv?" he mumbled, shifting his gyros into a struggle. "Can't rightly move, here."

She released her grip on him, feeling a rush of blood on her cheeks. The tall, orange-painted robot gently took Wheatley out of her hands, and she made sure it was holding him securely before her attention was once more directed to GLaDOS.

The AI stepped towards her, golden eyes shimmering, and Chell felt the familiar intimidatory fear at her presence. Even in a humanoid form, she still stood at least half a head over Chell and certainly reveled at every differing inch. The icy, blank stare on her face didn't help.

Chell flinched – just a little – as GLaDOS's arms slid over the shoulders of the orange sundress. The AI pulled her tight, and Chell was surprised at the artificial body's warmth. GLaDOS was strong – Chell could discern it just by the way she was being held – but there was also a strange gentleness. Briefly, Chell recounted the large, seemingly clumsy metal claw that had delicately grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her back from the moon. GLaDOS pressed her cheek against Chell's temple, whispering softly into her ear:

"Welcome home, _cara mia._"

_Home._ The word shot through her like a laser. Home. A place she'd never had, and a place she never thought she'd call Aperture. Yet not so deep inside, she knew this madhouse was part of her and she a part of it. Within these walls, she had held hands and clashed swords. She had suffered and reveled. Joy, sorrow, madness, sanity, triumph, failure – these made up Aperture. Were they not the elements of a family as well?

Her arms wrapped around GLaDOS, and she sniffled as hot tears trailed down her cheeks. She expected some offhanded comment, some tease about how emotional she was being. GLaDOS only held her tighter. Chell smiled. Home. She was home. And she was never, ever going to leave agai—

-KRAKABOOM-

Her ice-blue eyes shot open, startled at the roaring crash of thunder. It took a moment for her to remember where she was, or, more importantly, where she was not. She glanced over at the barred window of the barren apartment as several screams and short bursts of gunfire echoed through the rainy night.

The Combine couldn't see too well through the rain, so many citizens tried to escape on stormy nights like these. For the most part, Metrocop raids kept the escapees at bay. Still, it was worth the risk of dying just to get past the walls of City 04, if even for a glimpse of the forest and field beyond.

She gave a long, mournful groan, straining air through her busted throat as she rubbed her face. Her hands came away wet as the warm, comforting illusion of Aperture's welcome melted into obscurity, leaving only cold, bitter reality.

Sometimes dreams were worse than nightmares.

She had arrived at City 04 several weeks ago. They had instantly caught her. Thinking them harmless, she hadn't resisted at the time. However, a single lap around the city told her she was not free. Food and fresh water were a commodity. Friends, even more so. Her stubbornness and rebellious nature had warranted trouble from the beginning; even now she couldn't count the newfound bruises and scars on her back from those damned electric prods.

The recurring dreams didn't help. Always back at Aperture, always a welcome sight. She always awoke with a strange pain in her chest and a fierce urge to cry. Fortunately – if there were such a thing as fortune here – the Combine raids were beginning to make her a light sleeper.

The chopping noise of helicopter blades emerged through the thunder and rain. She rolled off of the filthy mattress she'd been using as a bed, pressing her body as close to the floor as possible, hoping the civilian standard-issue blue suit would allow her some sort of camouflage. For once, she was glad she wasn't dressed in Aperture orange. The helicopter whirred harmlessly by, its spotlight sweeping past her window. The light glimmered as it hit the gathering raindrops, making them sparkle like silver confetti.

The good stuff.

Our last bag.

Chell's body tightened as the chopper passed. Suddenly, she realized what she had to do. She nearly leaped off of the floor, grabbing the small satchel she'd liberated off of a fallen rebel. There wasn't much to pack up – a bit of dried meat, a few bandages, and a little jug of fresh, untainted water that a rebel had given her – but as she scoured the ruined room for supplies, she mapped the trail in her head. Past the gates. Through the little field, bearing northwest. Through the forest – the path came easily to mind as she visualized every fallen tree and bend in the stream – through the wheat field down to that little metal shed in the middle of nowhere.

She was grateful that testing had improved her memory. If her physical abilities could keep up, she would be out of here in no time. Her arm still ached for the weight of the ASHPD, but what she couldn't do with portals she could still accomplish through tenacity. She set her jaw, slinging the satchel over her back and heading towards the door.

Hell or high water, she would escape City 04 tonight.


	2. The Escape

Chell tightened the pack across her shoulders, giving a determined huff as she started for the door. She twisted the knob slowly before pulling it open, making sure not to make any noise. Drawing it closed behind her, she stepped out into the dark hallway of the apartment, painfully aware of the noise her rubber-soled, Combine-issued shoes made on the dull tile.

The hallway was dark and, like everything else in the building, smelled of mildew and rot. Above her, a fluorescent light attempted to turn on, blinking fiercely. To her right was a short hallway that led to a locked door after a brief left turn. To her left, the apartment building curved around, eventually leading to some broken stairs. Her main intent was to go down to the next level, to another apartment, and hopefully down one of the fire escapes, providing they were still intact.

The cruel hiss of Combine radio made quick work of any ideas she was entertaining. Fighting down her panic, she ran as quietly as possible to the hallway on the right, dropping to the ground in a crouch and hiding behind the corner.

The radio halted. They were in the hall next to her. Chell's heart began to hammer in her chest, and it was more than an effort to calm her growing panic. She closed her eyes, clenching her fists tightly, as she brought to mind the only thing that would soothe her.

_Cara bel, cara mia bella..._

She wasn't familiar with all of the lyrics, merely hearing the song once, but she had realized the tune had followed her throughout her last Aperture journey. She'd heard it from the Weighted Companion Cube, chiming it merrily as she'd carried it around. Laser nodes had given a different version – several, actually – as they were activated. She'd even heard remnants of it upon her awakening from her interstellar voyage.

Not only now but during other raids and attacks, the same song had helped to soften the blows of a thrashing heart in her chest. If only she could remember the lyrics. She gave a quiet sigh. Cautiously, hoping the darkness would shield her, Chell peered out from the safety of her corner.

Three Metrocops stood in front of her door. The lead one raised his hand, silencing the others. Then, he lifted a massive boot, effortlessly kicking in the rotted door. They quickly stormed in, and Chell could hear them upturning everything she'd left behind. After a few noisy, stomach-churning moments, they reappeared. The leader pulled out his radio.

"Aperture Prime undetected. Domicile sterilized. Attempt to reclaim initiated."

A garbled response came back. He turned to the other two Combine.

"What are you waiting for? Go look for her!"

The two Metrocops jumped a little, scurrying off in obeisance. Another static-filled message came from the radio.

"Repeat, Nova Prospekt?"

Chell's heart came to a full stop before fluttering like a wounded bird in her chest.

Nova Prospekt.

_Nova Prospekt._

She squeezed her eyes shut and covered her mouth with both hands, stifling a cry that wouldn't have broken anyway. Her whole body tightened with panic, her legs stiffening to press her firmly against the wall. She twisted over, falling silently to her knees.

_Nova Prospekt was looking for her._

She forced her eyes open, choking down the terror. In front of her was a large air vent, just big enough for her to fit into. Carefully, she slipped her fingers into the thick, wide slits of the vent, pulling the cover off with just a small protest of metal. She quickly backed into the vent and sealed the entrance shut, making sure the cover fit securely.

She backed further into the vent until her back hit an upwards-pointed shaft. She again covered her hands with her mouth, listening carefully for any indication she'd been heard.

If they'd heard her...

If the vent cover fell and made a noise...

If they found her...

They'd take her to Nova Prospekt, that decrepit old prison, located somewhere between misery and utter hopelessness. They'd torture her for information she could not provide. When interrogation failed, they'd pull her apart, piece by piece, cut her open and dig into her brain...

She started to sob quietly.

Despite everything GLaDOS had ever put her through, she feared nothing at Aperture. She could escape anything that any malevolent core or corrupted computer could throw at her, given the proper amount of effort and determination. The Combine proved tougher. If they were devils, then Nova Prospekt was their Hell.

She sucked in a breath as heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway. The hand clasped over her mouth tightened, and she gave a stifled groan as she curled her knees to her chest. A pair of black boots appeared at the air duct and shifted around for a heart-stopping moment before disappearing once again.

Chell waited for several minutes of silence before she was able to breathe normally. Fear still clenched her muscles, and for a brief moment she forgot all about escaping to Aperture, her mind filled with the dreaded name of her supposed destination. She bit her knuckle worriedly, tears slowly filling her eyes.

At once, a determined voice entered her head, as if her brain knew she needed encouragement: "I know things look bleak, but that crazy man down there was right!"

Her head lifted. That was GLaDOS's voice!

"Let's not take these lemons!"

She almost laughed as the desperation of the AI's tinny, mechanical voice filled her mind. That the murderous machine's voice had come to mind was of little consequence to her; GLaDOS's memory was a small comfort and more than enough to chase the terror from her mind.

No, she wouldn't take the lemons then, and she sure as Hell wasn't going to take them now.

She looked upward, trying to determine where her path lay. The air shaft above her was dark, but the route seemed simple enough. She felt around, hands shifting against the dusty beveled aluminum, until she was secure enough to stand. Propping her back against one side of the shaft, she lifted one foot and set it against the opposite wall. She carefully lifted the other foot, wedging herself up into the air shaft.

A grin spread across her face. Slowly, she began to ascend.


	3. The Sky

Her nose tingled from the dust and decay of the air vents, but she still managed to climb a little further before the wall behind her disappeared. She pulled herself up onto a flat part of the air shaft, reaching blindly for the edges around her. She had already fallen down one sloping part, crashing indelicately into a hard wall before falling another two or three feet. She'd feared the duct might collapse under her weight (and what GLaDOS would have to say about that!), but it turned out whoever built these must have predicted someone would one day crawl around inside of them.

Like the invasive dust nagging at her sinuses, something important nagged at the back of her mind. Something she wasn't supposed to forget that she'd forgotten. Some obvious piece of the puzzle that she'd overlooked. It didn't bother her at first; the nervousness from her escape and her near run-in with the Combine had overshadowed any other thought. Now that she'd been in the ducts for a while, the little niggling feeling had returned.

Her fingers detected another drop, and this time she was prepared. Stretching herself against the width of the shaft, she slowly and carefully lowered herself down. As she landed in a crouch at the bottom, the little shadow of a thought suddenly made itself clear. She gasped, the bitter taste of mildew flooding her mouth.

They knew about Aperture.

The Metrocops that had tried to ambush her had referred to her as "Aperture Prime." They somehow knew she was associated with the research facility and were actively looking for her as a specific target. _That's_ why they wanted her at Nova Prospekt. They wanted information on Aperture.

But why?

She gave a frustrated grunt as she whacked her forehead on a low vent entrance. She ducked lower, sliding on her belly like a snake through the narrow passage. Her shoes clunked noisily as she wriggled, and with another growl of annoyance she kicked them off. It wasn't a very good preparation for the future, as she knew the streets were probably littered with glass and broken minutia, but right now those damn things were part of the problem and not the solution.

She gave another groan, missing her Long-Fall Boots. Not that they would have been less noisy, but with them she could have simply leaped out of her window to the streets below instead of squirming around in this nasty mess.

What had the Rebels called it? 'Freemaning'? Yes, she remembered. Shortly after they'd rescued her from yet another mass Metrocop beating, the Rebels had whisked her underground. They had used a series of air ducts to escape. "Freeman it!" had been the cry as the vent had been opened, and even as she was hoisted up into the shaft she had wondered at the origin of the phrase.

Chell chuckled, a noiseless laugh that gurgled in her throat. It seemed a silly phrase at the time – still did, actually – but she thought she was starting to understand. What was once only a stock cliché of action movies was slowly proving to be her tunnel to freedom.

Or it meant something completely different. She wasn't sure. But her own analysis seemed good enough.

She gave a hollow cry as the ground suddenly vanished from under her palms. She was barely able to regain her balance, narrowly avoiding a possible face-first slide into a wall. She somehow managed to shift herself around to slide properly, smirking as she mentally gave GLaDOS's insults a thought. Fat, indeed!

The smirk melted into a smile as she remembered GLaDOS actually sticking up for her when Wheatley had tried the same mocking barrage. She wasn't exactly sure when she and the supercomputer had become friends – she still wasn't sure that they _were_ friends, to be honest – but the simple gesture had been appreciated. She reminded herself to tell GLaDOS that when she got back.

_When. _Not _if_ but _when_.

She landed with a thump on a hard surface. From the sound, she must've landed on a wooden stud. She felt for the top of the shaft, not wanting another blow to the forehead, and started down the duct.

Far in the distance, a spark of light came from the duct in front of her. She gave a soft, hopeful gasp as she scrambled toward it. The sound of hard wood under her stopped, switching instead to a metal banging. She stopped, cringing, listening for the heavy sounds of boots in the room below her.

After a minute of hearing only the thick beating of her own heart, she slowly continued, mindful of the noise she made and the restrictive groaning of the duct under her weight, until she reached the source of the light.

She eyed the room through the grate. This grate, unlike the one she'd used to enter the air ducts, had narrow slits, so she couldn't see much of the room. It also meant she'd have to pop the grate off as opposed to carefully removing it, and if anyone was below her, she wouldn't have time to escape before she was caught.

The room below looked empty, and she heard nothing. She gently pressed on the grate, trying to ease it free. It gave no yield, and she noticed it was fastened on with screws. Grimacing, she twisted her body around, pressing with her much stronger legs. When the grate refused to move, Chell gave a hearty kick, ignoring the sting of the edged slits on her bare feet.

The whole section of duct gave a warning groan. Chell froze, foot poised in mid-air as she prepared another kick. She slowly lowered her foot as the metal protested again. She gulped, moving slowly back towards the more secure area.

There were three loud pops and a metal twang, and the duct came loose. Chell winced, expecting it to fall, but the odd feeling of being suspended washed over her. She shifted her balance, and the duct swayed to one side, pulling away from the secure portion of the shaft. Light flooded the vent, and Chell saw the room swinging below her. She noticed a table laying on its side in one corner as the scene flew by. Sliding out of the vent and landing with noticeably more force that she was used to bearing, she quickly ducked behind the table.

The remainder of the vent crashed down, sending huge, ashy flakes of dust everywhere. The room turned into a giant snowglobe, and Chell coughed as she waved the dust from her face. After a moment, certain that the room was safe and empty, she peeked out from her cover.

She'd landed in an old laundry room. Oddly, the stale scent of laundry detergent still remained, bringing with it memories of fluffy, warm towels and starched shirts. Rusted washers and dryers lined the edges of the concrete walls. Many of them were crushed in the middle, as if someone had come down and had a field day with a baseball bat. Some were riddled with bullet holes, and Chell wondered if the Combine were such poor shots that they needed a stationary object for target practice.

Dim streetlight, given solid form by the dust, poured in from a narrow window at the ceiling. How she'd gotten from the third floor to the basement using only the labyrinth of air ducts was anyone's guess, but Chell wasn't particular at the moment. There was a stairway across the room from her; it led back up into the apartments. To the right of that was another door that she assumed would lead outside.

She cautiously tried the door. Fortune smiled on her twice today as the handle clicked easily open. The doorway led up to the street by means of a concrete stairwell. Chell was able to survey the street as she climbed up, keeping her body close to the wall and railing in case Metrocops decided to show up and ruin her good fortune. They seemed to have a gift for that.

On the third stair from the top, she stopped and sat down to rest. Her blue jumpsuit was tarnished with dust, and her skin itched wildly underneath. She patted herself off as best she could, giving a heavy sigh when she'd finished.

Her eyes glanced skyward, past the glowing streetlights and into the stars. She wasn't aware of how long she'd been in the ducts, but it seemed that the storm had passed. The sky was clear, effortless, pure, as if nothing was wrong with the world at all. The moon was at waxing gibbous – or was it waning? - and looked nearly full in the dark sky.

She tried not to remember that moment. She tried very hard to push all of Wheatley's hateful words from her mind. She tried to convince herself that it was GLaDOS's chassis making him mad with power and not the disgruntled mind of the core himself that was throwing such terrible insults and accusations at her.

But every time she looked at the moon, his voice came back to her, full of rage and desperation and violence.

"Take one more look at your precious human moon! Because it cannot -"

She clasped her hands over her ears, scrunching her eyes tightly, and trying to block out the mental anguish. It was terrible. It was a terrible thing he had done to her. And she still couldn't find it in herself to hate him.

In her dreams, he was always sorry when he'd seen her again. He would apologize, sometimes profusely, sometimes hesitantly. He was always present, too. Wheatley and GLaDOS and turrets and cubes and those robots and sometimes those other weird cores that she'd put on Wheatley to corrupt him. They were all there. One big, happy, stupid, crazy family.

She rubbed her temples, slowly relaxing her eyes and playing in her mind that calming tune. She wished she'd listened to the lyrics a little more intently, but she _was _still shocked by the fact that the turrets weren't filling her full of bullets to properly pay attention.

Pulling her knees to her chest, balancing awkwardly on the stairs, she mentally tried to carve out her next path. Since the Combine were actively seeking her, the escape wasn't going to be as easy as she'd first thought. In fact, even now they were probably fencing the whole area in with those strange walls that looked like Emancipation Grills. She would need a miracle to get past those.

Another deep breath of freedom, expelled in a heavy sigh. She was going to need a lot of miracles tonight. She could not know that they were on the way.


	4. The Descent

"Subject Alpha's beginning the descent."

"Good. How long? And do we have a bearing?"

"I'm getting it as close as I can, but it's still too soon to say. As for how long, it should only take a few minutes at most. What I'm worried about is the Combine seeing it."

"I'm not worried. We're equipped to deal with anything they can throw at us, short of a herd of Striders."

"Well, of course _you're _not worried. You get the heavy artillery. Plus, if I didn't know better, I'd say you really liked gunning them down."

"I do."

"You don't have to sound so eerily pleased to say that."

"What about Subject Beta? Have you found it yet?"

"Mmph. It was shot pretty far. I've got the signal but not the pull. It's like it's resisting."

"That sounds about right. And what about Gamma?"

"It was quite far from Alpha. I was surprised. And the power reading on Gamma isn't too strong. What do you suppose it's been doing?"

"Processing incorrectly, as per usual. All of that inadequacy is liable to burn out a lot of power."

"Now, now. Don't be negative. Gamma's our main target, after all."

"For the selfsame reason."

There was a pause.

"Do...do you think she's...?"

"Whether she's still alive or not is of no consequence right now. We have bigger and more important matters at hand. What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"You trust her."

"I most certainly do not! I have merely seen that she is more than capable of handling herself at times of great stress. Besides, why are _you_ worried? It isn't as though we need her."

"Need is one thing. Want is another."

"What are you implying?"

"What are you assuming I'm implying?"

"Some gross need for interpersonal communication. I _don't_. You're more than enough, thank you."

"Heh. Not so long ago, you wouldn't have said that."

"Well, I... -ahem- What's going on with Subject Alpha?"

"Let's see. Oh, it'll be here soon. A few more minutes; I can see the trail now. Here, look outside, to the southwest."

"I see the trail. That's him?"

"...Him?"

"I mean, it. It. Those things have no importance to me. No more than you do."

"I'm going to ignore that for now. Speed is good; he seems to be slowing down appropriately."

"It's an it. You don't have to call it a 'he'."

"...Oh, no."

"What?"

"It looks like...damn! My calculations were a bit off."

"A bit? How much is a bit?"

"His trajectory should have led him to the woods. Right now, he's headed for the heart of City 04. Can you disable him from here?"

"He's too far away. I think even City 04 is too far to disable him."

"Then...then they'll find him."

Silence.

"What about the impact? Will it take out the city?"

"On that small of an object? The impact circumference will only be about eighty feet or so, provided he doesn't simply bore into the ground. It'll take out a chunk of the city, but not a lot. It'll certainly get their attention."

"I'll work on the shields, then. We've got some planning to do."

"Did you put the rocket turrets out?"

"Of course I did. Who do you think I am?"

"All right, all right. Just checking. You've been forgetting things recently."

"I have not. I've just been distracted. There's a significant difference."

"You're worried for her, aren't you?"

"..."

"That's okay. I am, too. The only thing is, I'm used to it."

"She's a survivor. She survives."

"I hope you're right. Alpha's incoming. Be prepared for a shockwave."

* * *

><p>A bright streak of light danced across the midmorning sky. From the safety of an alleyway, Chell spotted it as it crossed the moon. The child in her hoped it was a shooting star; the adult in her reasoned it was rather <em>close<em> for a shooting star. So close, in fact, that she could see a little round object in its fiery center.

The scarred test subject in her instinctively clung to the wall of the alleyway as the ball of fire zipped across the city. It landed with a deafening crash and an earth-shaking tremor onto a section of the city that had recently been abandoned. A wave of traveling dust came shortly afterward. Chell cringed against the side of the wall, gritting her teeth as the blast of hot air zoomed down the alley.

Dust and debris flittered in the air like confetti. Mentally tracing the direction of the impact, Chell started down the street toward it. Yes, the Combine would be coming soon. Yes, it was probably something dangerous, and yes, she should probably be escaping rather than sticking her nose where it didn't belong.

But it wasn't every day you saw a shooting star.


	5. The Star

Thick white smoke rose up around the city block where the object had crashed. As Chell drew closer, slipping behind every corner of the many buildings and alleyways that stood between her and her destination, keeping a paranoid ear and eye out for Metrocops, manhacks, and scanners, she noticed that it was not smoke that filled the streets but steam. Beyond the field of mist, she saw a long trail carved into the street. Ground Zero, so to speak, seemed to lie in the middle of an abandoned park.

Careful to avoid the sharp tines of steel poking out from the broken concrete, she tiptoed up to the massive crater. The sunken ground carved out a near-perfect circle, spanning the middle of the park, the four streets surrounding it, and half of a nearby parking lot. It was deep, and from below Chell noticed a water line that had been busted on impact. Rust-colored water still dripped from the line, though service had most likely been disconnected long ago.

Chell began to climb down. The shattered concrete threatened against her bare feet, but she was glad it had cooled enough for her to stand on it. She didn't know a lot about things that fell from space, but she knew they were most likely very hot. The water main seemed to have cooled things down pretty well. She counted that as her third fortune of the night.

Small fires from still-running gas lines lit the bottom of the crater. Chell was careful to avoid them, carefully climbing around an overhanging section of broken road to do so. She reached the soft earth of the crater, still warm from the crash but muddy and slick. Steadying herself against a section of twisted playground bars, she looked at the fallen object.

It was a core.

Chell gave a choked squeak. Stuck in the muddying dirt, optic-side down, and, most worrisome of all, silent, but still an Aperture Science core, capable of remaining safely operational up to 4000 Kelvins. She immediately made for the hunk of metal but froze, retracting her hand when she remembered how hot the thing might be. Tentatively, she tapped her index finger against the core's back. Feeling a little braver since her finger didn't automatically solder itself to the metal, she pressed her hand to it. Warm, still, but not searing as she'd imagined.

She grabbed the core firmly in both hands, steadying her feet on two slabs of rock, and pulled. With a heart-stopping metallic 'shing' the core's top half wrenched away. Chell almost fell backward as it gave way, and she immediately tossed the metal aside in horrified disgust, mentally likening it to pulling off a person's limb.

She gave a gasp of a breath to calm herself, remembering that it was just a machine, would suffer no permanent damage, and could not likely feel whatever she'd done, especially with how strangely and gut-wrenchingly quiet it was being.

The core's innards were now exposed, and Chell hesitantly reached inside. She pulled out the optic, a large, flat disk about the size of Chell's hand. Wires strung from the back of it, connecting to another round disk, which she also extracted. To this disk hung thicker cables, connected to attachment points in the core's back. These, she had to remove carefully from their slots but managed to do so with no further damage.

She investigated the core's optic, heart fluttering as she hoped for that familiar, long crack along the left side. She saw instead a starburst that shattered in all directions. With a sigh of disappointment, she lowered both disks, one in each hand, and stared at the ground.

This was not Wheatley.

Initially she wanted just to toss the core's remains to the side and continue on. Then, she thought about the Combine and Nova Prospekt. The core was deactivated, but most likely it still held information on Aperture's location and purpose. If she left it, the Combine would find it.

If she left it, they would find GLaDOS, and they would torture her.

They would purge the facility and most likely steal every bit of technology in there for themselves.

Gels, turrets, pneumatic tubes, funnels, and of course the ASHPD.

They would be unstoppable.

Her grip tightened on the core's optic. She could not let that happen. The Combine had shattered enough of her dreams. This was one they were not ever, _ever_ going to touch.

She inspected the core, curious as to which one it was, if not Wheatley. On the optic-bearing disk, she saw there was a line of ridges on the inside. Correspondingly, the other disk had a rough, protruding edge, as if both halves were designed to be screwed together. She tucked in the connecting wires as best she could and twisted, forming one whole disk about an inch and a half thick.

Chell inspected the disk further to see if there was any way of powering the little thing on. Three cables hung from the back side: one large jack, one small jack, and the long, cylindrical receptor port. Beside these cables was a very tiny hole, barely visible against the black metal of the disk. Above it in raised letters was the word "RESET."

Chell stuck out her lip, eyebrows flattening. It made sense that Aperture's most expansive technology _would_ have a reset button in the same manner as a child's electronic toy. As it turned out, she didn't happen to have a pen or paper clip on her, either.

Rolling her eyes, she gnawed at the fingernail of her index finger, biting until it tore. Tucking the core under her arm, she carefully ripped off the bit of hard nail and promptly inserted it into the tiny hole. The core made a cheerful chirruping noise, and she turned it just in time to see a radial flash of bright yellow lights.

The little LEDs dimmed and wavered, struggling just for a spark of life. Finally, only a single dull ring lit up around the center of the optic, leaving a black hole in the middle. It made a faint groan, its voice, once high-pitched, now sounded warped and low from lack of energy.

"Spaa...aa...aa...ce..."

The lights dimmed to almost nothing. Chell clasped the core to her chest, feeling a wave of pity and a little guilt. So what if the little guy wasn't Wheatley? He deserved to be back at Aperture all the same. Carefully, she tucked him into her satchel.

She had barely climbed out of the hole when she spotted the distinctive twin blue lights of several Combine on approach. She ducked into a nearby alley, scaling a fire escape and climbing up to the roof. She sat against a brick-lined maintenance shed to rest, hopefully out of sight of the tyrants below.

The stars were melting away. The bluish-white moon, shying away from the yellow lamp of the sun, began to disappear into the western horizon. Chell sighed as she looked to the northwest, the direction of Aperture. She pretended to see it beyond the high, dark wall made of foreign Combine materials. The wall was the only thing between her and her dream now.

She made a promise to herself. That wall would fall. Maybe not later that day, but soon. And she would be the one to do it.

* * *

><p>"...Huh?"<p>

"What?"

"Subject Alpha's online."

"That's impossible. The only way for him to come online is if someone..."

Her voice trailed off. They looked at each other.

"Then they have him."

"Subject Beta. Have you -"

"I've hailed him, and he's responded. I'd rather not repeat the words, though. He's conceded to a pull, but he's a little farther away. It's going to take longer."

"Gamma?"

"Gamma's...he's offline."

"Are you _serious_?"

"I don't know why. There's no reason for him to be off, unless he's sustained some sort of damage. Perhaps his energy's run out. Either way, I can still pull him, so it's not a big deal."

"Get him here, as soon as possible. Since _you_ had to screw up your calculations, time is no longer on our side."

"I'm not an astrophysicist, okay? I'm doing what I can!"

"It's not going to be good enough when they come to kill us. If you insist on acting like you have a high-school level IQ, I can certainly play the role of schoolteacher and grade your work for you. In the meantime, I have actual _things that need to be done,_ and I don't have time to play pretend."

"_Stop._"

"Or maybe you'd just like to go back to sleep for another twenty years. I'm sure the world will have changed a lot by the time you wake up. In fact, you'll probably wake up a lot sooner, since _they_ will be shipping you off to that prison as soon as they're done wrecking my facility."

There was a long, long, heavy silence. Finally, she released a sigh.

"All right. I know that wasn't helpful just now. I'm just...under a lot of stress."

"It's...okay. No sense fighting with you, anyway. Besides, I've endured worse."

"I know. Do the best you can. At least we can still test Beta's trajectory before we reel in the big fish."

"But even when we get him, it's going to take a miracle to pull off the plan."

"We've got Science. Science provides its own miracles."

She didn't know it, but in a way, she was right.


	6. The Key

"Let go!"

Wheatley's handles flexed, trying to wrench off her grasp. It only made her hold on tighter as the void of space threatened to swallow her up. She stared in disbelief at the large blue optic, hoping the words he'd just spoken, like the previous stream of harsh accusations and heart-wrenching confessions, had only been a verbal accident, a glitch in his system. His narrowed shutters glared back hatefully – not just spitefully but _loathingly_.

A piece of debris from the Main AI Chamber flew into her face, and her left hand lost its grip. She fumbled against the blasting air to catch the core's handle again, but he pulled it out of reach. She gasped.

"Let GO!" he demanded again. "I'm still connected!"

Her lungs started to burn as she struggled to inhale the void around her. Wheatley began moving his other handle in a desperate attempt to throw her off. She tried to gasp in another breath, succeeding in a lungful of nothing. Black fog encroached at the edge of her vision, growing darker and more constricting with each pounding heartbeat. Wheatley's bright blue optic still burned at her, demanding what she could not bring herself to deliver.

"LET GO!"

She couldn't. Tears brimmed in her eyes, immediately freezing as the rush of air blasted them off her face and into the cold recesses of the stars. Everything was growing darker, darker, until only Wheatley's blue light remained, ever angry and vehement. Her hand weakened its grip.

Taking in another breath, she tried to scream, tried to beg, plead, accuse, condemn – anything to make him stop his madness. The pain coursing through her whole body was now unbearable; her chest, her eyes, her heart. Everything burned; everything struggled to survive just one second longer.

Something burst in her chest. The world went black…

* * *

><p>Chell burst upright with a fierce gasp. Putting a hand to her chest, she sucked in breath after breath, leaning back against the rough brick, squeezing her eyes shut. Her hands balled into fists, nails digging into her palms.<p>

She _hated_ that dream.

Another gasping breath. She grit her teeth, determined not to let the tears flow this time. It was _over_. The dream. That horrible moment. Both of them buried in the sands of the past. Both of them...stinging like salt on a wound.

_Cara bel, cara mia bella..._

The tune played through again and again, trying to distract her jumbled mind. It took a few rounds, but finally her breathing slowed to normal. She opened her eyes.

The sun hadn't risen too far. In fact, it was barely up over the huge wall surrounding the city. She wasn't aware of when she'd fallen asleep, but she was glad it had been brief. Out in the open with Combine on alert, a nap made her an easy target. It had been foolish of her to drift off so easily.

Bracing herself on the brick wall behind her, she got to her feet. She opened her satchel and checked on the little core. Its single ring of yellow lights was still flickering, but at least they were on. She didn't exactly know what would happen to the little guy if he shut down completely, and though she was sure the facility would have a way to get him back online, she wasn't sure how he'd fare.

Tucking him safely back into the satchel, she strapped it across her back again. Peering over the edge of the building, she was surprised to see no Combine were actually in the immediate area. Perhaps they'd already gotten all they wanted from what was left of the core.

She climbed down the fire escape, still wary of any remaining Metrocops in the area. There were none, but she soon found a worse problem – containment fields had been placed across the three streets around the area, probably to keep nosy intruders like herself out. Only this time, it was trapping a nosy intruder _inside_.

Going back down the street from where she'd come, she saw a small, three-walled alcove crafted from the same material as the city's wall. Bluish-purple, somewhere between hard, cold metal and angular crystals, the stuff was nigh-indestructible and served both as a symbol of the humans' oppression and of the Combine's cruel dominance. A computer sat in the alcove.

Chell examined the screen, careful not to touch anything. The screens scrolled endless lines of gibberish, and Chell couldn't determine if it was some weird Combine language or encrypted code. The panel below the computer's monitor held dozens of buttons, ports, and sockets, many of which were lit up with the same cool blue glow as the electrified wall itself.

She stared at all of the bits and pieces before a spark of inspiration struck her. She pulled out the core again, inspecting the three cables from its back. Taking the larger jack, its size and shape reminiscent of an electric guitar's cord, she prodded it into several of the sockets before finding one that fit.

The screen wavered a little, and the core itself lit up like a Christmas tree. He made a high whirring sound, and to Chell's surprise, the disk began shaking in her hands. She clamped onto it, eyes wide, worried she'd done the wrong thing entirely.

The core's optic went black.

Chell yanked the cable from the socket, holding the little disk at eye level and shaking it, as if that would wake him up. She let out a small, fearful whimper.

Suddenly, the core lit up again, its yellow lights spiraling alive and glowing brightly. The optic flashed twice, slowly, as if blinking awake from a nap. For a moment, the two stared blankly at one another.

"Hey!" the core suddenly burst, and Chell fumbled him as she jumped in surprise. "You're the lady from space!"

Chell blinked, nodding.

The core gave a string of excited panting noises but stopped suddenly, flashing his optic and spouting a sullen, "Wait. Wait. This isn't space."

Not knowing how else to respond, Chell shook her head.

"Wanna go back. Back to space. Wanna go back now. Space. Need space."

She wasn't sure what to do. The core flashed at her again, repeatedly, almost angrily.

"_SPAAAAAAAAACE!"_

She dropped him on the console, covering her ears at the high-pitched wail. Anyone in a three-mile radius probably heard that, including any Combine on patrol! Putting a finger to her lips, she shushed the core as best her voice would allow.

He would have none of it. "_No! Wanna. Go. Back. To. SPAAAAAAAAACE! NOOOOOW!"_

"Shh, shh," Chell pleaded. She spun around, searching the area for any unwanted guests. Any more of this and the Combine would definitely hear him. She picked up the core, holding it against her stomach to mute him.

Suddenly, he fell silent. She tentatively pulled him away, worried he'd start up again. Instead, his LEDs were flickering nervously, moving in a tiny wave around the radial of his optic.

"Space cops!" he whispered urgently. The lights dimmed to show only the small circle, trembling like a candle in the breeze.

She tilted her head, confused. He must've been some kind of corrupted to glitch this badly. Knowing Aperture technology, though, it wasn't too surprising.

A distant sound of static scattered her thoughts. She peered past the alcove, making sure to keep hidden. Beyond the wavering blue containment field, far down the street, she saw the white masks of three Combine on approach.

Amazed, she gaped down at the little core. Had he known they were coming?

"Space cops!" he whimpered again.

She ducked into a nearby doorway, mindful of broken glass as she crawled to the safety of a corner under a window. Within moments, the telltale noise of combat boots signaled Combine presence.

One of them passed by the window, and Chell pressed herself further against the wall. She was sure he wouldn't be able to see her in the darkness of the empty room, but if he just happened to look over his shoulder, she wouldn't have time to run before the beating started.

She hated the look of Combine. Their smooth masks, with large eyeholes and broad foreheads, always reminded her of a skull. Most had white masks, although there had been an alarming increase in black-masked ones with eyeholes that shone bright blue. These, she had found out via Resistance members, were more elite soldiers. Why soldiers were in City 04 was anyone's guess.

Most of all, Chell hated Metrocops. They were formerly normal citizens who had been given the right to beat anyone within an inch of their lives simply because they had agreed to sell their souls to these devils. Whether they wanted a higher position in life or because the Combine had promised them better food and shelter: neither of these mattered to Chell. They were traitors against their own people.

The Combine hung around for several minutes; the endless and indecipherable chatter from their radios coupled with the stress of their very presence nearly drove Chell insane. The core kept his small ring alight the entire time, and Chell swore she felt him trembling in her hands. She allowed several minutes to pass even after the boots stomped away and the radio shrank to a faraway hum before stepping out of her hiding spot.

Standing again before the alcove, Chell approached the containment field. It buzzed dully, and when she reached out to touch it, it sent tiny, painless shocks through her palm. It also felt as hard as steel. No matter how hard she pushed, she could not go through the wall of light.

"Starfield," the core in her hand purred happily. With a start, his radials began blinking brightly. "Wait! Wait wait! I know! Quick! The space station! Docking station, incoming ship in 3…2…"

Chell merely stared at him.

"Descent! Into the black hole!"

She raised a brow, not understanding. With some effort, he managed to illuminate part of his optic, forming a sort of arrow to indicate the alcove beside her.

"P-pp-p-pl-l-lu-uh-ug," he groaned, forcing out the word.

Chell slapped her forehead. Of course. But why would he want to be plugged in again?

Puzzled by his request but somewhat relieved that he could communicate, she carried him back to the computer console and inserted his plug. A small blaze of a spark shot through him. It made Chell jump back in surprise, but the little core merely ignored it, focused solely on his duty.

The main screen of the computer switched from strings of strange text to – what else – pictures of the stars. Different planets, galaxies, satellites, comets, and other intergalactic images flashed quickly across the screen. The little core gave a happy chirp of "Bup bup-bup bup!" as the slideshow continued.

Chell set a hand on her hip. Was this all he wanted to do? They were wasting time as it was, and he was making a great deal of noise again. He had alerted her to the Combine the first time, true, but she knew luck like that never kept for too long. If all he wanted to do was look at pictures, then –

Something flashed in the corner of her eye. Peeking out from the alcove, she found only transparent blue light where the containment field had been. Chell's mouth dropped open.

"Io!" the core piped, and it took Chell a moment to realize he meant her. "Io, ready for lift-off!"

Her heart soared with a surge of delight that before had only come in her dreams. If he could hack the containment fields, then she could clear a path through City 04. Her plan to escape that night had fallen through, thanks to unexpected Combine interruption, the little fireball from the sky, and her accidental nap, but she could make it into the woods by noon or earlier if this little guy was helping.

She pulled his plug from the console, lifted him up with a happy squeal, and placed a little kiss on his shattered optic. He didn't seem aware of any of this symbolism and began chattering again.

"Okay. Okay, okay. Listen! You. Io. We get outta space jail, and then – yes, then! – then you can get me back to space?"

She nodded vigorously, beaming from ear to ear. She wasn't exactly sure how she could fulfill the wish, but she would try her best. When she returned to Aperture, she could probably procure another ASHPD, and sending another portal to the moon would be the very least she could do for the little guy.

"Io!" he cried, impatiently lighting his optic in rings, "let's go!"

She drew his cables up through some loops in her sleeve, tearing new ones where she could, chuckling hollowly as she fastened the core around her arm. The optic lay snugly tied over her left hand, allowing him to see outward.

"Blast off!" he squealed, and she took off down the street.

Io. What a weird name. She guessed it was the name of some moon or something, not really knowing exactly where he'd pulled it. It seemed only fair, however, to give him a name, too. True, she couldn't really call out to him, but giving him some sort of identity made her feel better about toting the noisy thing around.

But what name? The list of planets went through her head. Mars? Jupiter? Jupiter sounded like an important name. Perhaps too important. Pluto. Neptune. Uranus.

She scoffed. No, not _that_ name.

Orion. She remembered that one. It seemed nice enough, not that she knew who Orion was, but in all fairness, she didn't know who Io was, either. Still, it was easy to remember and sounded brave and seemed to fit the little core pretty well.

She grinned down at the core, who had lapsed into a small song of nonsensical noise interjected with intergalactic items. Orion. It was a perfect name, really. When she got back, she –

"Ah!"

Both she and the core cried out as a bright flash blocked out the world. Blinded, Chell could only back away from the whirring hover of a small engine. She gave a frustrated grunt, swinging a fist blindly through the air. Through the white fog of blindness, Chell made out a small red light. She turned away from it, running back toward the crash site.

The scanner cruised easily through the air, hovering around her like a dragonfly, eager to snap another picture. Its leaflike outer rotors flew up like wings, giving an electric whine as they prepared another flash.

Chell rubbed at her eyes, trying to chase away the specks of color and white mist. Her vision cleared just enough for her to avoid falling into the deep cleft from the impact. Quickly, she looked around for a weapon – a bit of pipe, scrap of metal, anything. Something narrow and shiny caught her eye, and she pulled it out of a pile of broken concrete.

It was a metal rod, bronze, with deep grooves spiraling up it like a carousel pole. She felt a weight at the end of it but couldn't see well enough to tell what it was. It wasn't heavy, though, and she could easily swing it one-handed.

She mentally targeted the scanner, listening for the whirring and seeking out that red light. Orion gave a startled cry, unaccustomed to so much quick movement, as she twisted around, making a wide arc with the pole. There was a jarring slam as the pole connected, and the scanner crashed to the ground.

She raised the pole again, vision clearing, eager to smash the damn thing to bits. As the pole struck again, the wings of the scanner gave one final, nasty flash, directly in Chell's face. She recoiled, clasping both hands over her eyes with a ghost of a scream. The pain bored directly through to her brain, leaving a piercing headache. She fell to her knees.

"Space cops!" Orion announced. "We gotta jet!"

She groaned, scouring the ground for her fallen weapon and using it to prop herself up. The fogginess faded as she staggered toward another street, but the searing line of pain that cleaved her head in two threatened to remain for some time.

Using Orion to clear the containment field of another path, she took off towards the edge of the city. As soon as the field came down, alarms echoed through the streets.

* * *

><p>((SOOOO SOOOO SORRY about the lateness of this. Computer went DERP and I JUST got it back TONIGHT. Well, i got the files out of it, at any rate...))<p> 


	7. The Alert

"Aperture Prime detected. First quadrant. Sector two-nine-eight-zero-zero. Contain. Neutralize."

Chell could still hear the announcement echoing in the streets from the outdoor speakers. She grimaced at its calmness, the delicate, feminine voice contrasting sharply to the blaring sirens. It reminded her of _another_ voice with murderous intent.

She'd gotten, for lack of a better word, cornered in a section of the city and had to duck into the nearest building. Unfortunately, this particular building seemed to be inexplicably inundated with guards. Thanks to Orion's alerts, she was able to slip into a maintenance duct before anyone saw her.

As the Metrocop completed his sweep of the hallway, Chell took her reprieve to further inspect the rod she'd picked up in the wrecked playground. Gripping it tightly, swinging it around in the enclosed space, she wondered if one blow to the head would be enough to get rid of him. No, it wouldn't be right. Despite what GLaDOS had said, she wasn't a murderer. She still had qualms about killing another human, even if they _were_ bastards and traitors.

She bit her lip. Wheatley had been a bastard and a traitor, too, but she'd still reached out to him before he disappeared forever into the black void. For whatever reason, she'd still wanted to grab him, to save him, to...redeem him. Giving a quiet sigh, she forced her attention back to the rod.

At the end of the rod was a bronze butterfly, its wings adorned with tiny colored plates of glass. Well, they _had_ been adorned as such. Time and the recent impact had left only slivers of red, green, and blue. They still sparkled, even in the dim light.

The rod itself was twisted like a carousel pole. Most of the shiny plating had worn off, leaving only dull, rusty iron underneath. She'd already taken out two more scanners with it; it seemed sturdy enough to last until she had gotten out of the city.

"Ready for lift-off!" Orion pipped, indicating the all-clear. She was still unsure exactly _how_ he knew where the Combine were. It probably had something to do with all the computers she'd plugged him into. Perhaps he had downloaded some kind of scanner or radar. No matter. His gift was a welcome one, regardless of its origin.

Her first instinct was to run back outside in the open area. There were places to hide out there, and she would be able to see all around her. However, there was still a chance that the patrol was active. If she was spotted, she wouldn't last five seconds against a crowd. Her second instinct was to maneuver through the building, find some sort of exit, and end up that much closer to the edge of town. There was an increased risk of running directly into a 'cop, but she knew she'd have better odds in a one-on-one battle.

In the end, she knew there was only one safe option. She sighed, looking upward at the rusty vent above her. Freemaning again.

"Io," the core chirped as she began to climb the dusty vent. She paused to look at him. He flashed, dimming his lights to a more comfortable glow before gently murmuring, "Be careful."

Something warm spread across her chest as her heart melted a little. She gave him an encouraging smile and lifted herself into the duct.

Choking back another host of sneezes, she tunneled through the vents. Although she was trying to be as silent as possible, many of the vents were rusted and thin, carrying the sound of her travel echoing dangerously close to Combine ears. Eventually, she found herself moving upward to the second floor, which sent a scowl to her face.

She didn't want to waste the day stuck in more air ducts. She especially didn't want to be trapped in the middle of a Combine tea party. Radio chatter followed her from all directions along with stomping boots and the electric buzz of their bludgeoning clubs. Peeking out from open vents, she saw rooms full of 'cops and Soldiers, recognizable by their glowing blue eyes. Dark shards of crystalline Combine material covered the walls like an invasive vine, housing computer access points and gun racks.

"We're out of the Neutral Zone," Orion whispered. "Romulan territory."

Chell rolled her eyes. How nerdy. But she understood what he meant. For whatever reason, the Combine had assumed control of this building and were making it into some sort of base. She had been unlucky enough to blindly wander into it, which merely strengthened her resolve to get out.

She ascended another tunnel, stretching herself across its width to climb up. Halfway up, her arms started to tremble and her legs began to turn to jelly. The nap she'd taken had done little good to recharge her energy, considering she hadn't eaten since...

She paused, frowning.

...since...

In truth, she didn't remember the last time she'd had a proper meal. Two days ago, someone had shared a can of something with her. Chell had wanted to call it chili, though the taste and texture had been _far_ from what chili should've been. She remembered getting sick off of it later that night, but that was certainly the last time she'd ingested food.

Her stomach growled as her mind turned to the small bit of dried meat in her satchel. True, it wasn't what would be considered 'conventional' meat – not by a long shot – but it was something consumable. Everything's delicious when you're hungry. Pulling herself up onto a solid ledge, she groaned along with her empty belly.

Unfortunately, food would have to wait until after her escape.

She pulled up into a long passage, lit by a series of vents, each exiting on the floor of a room. The radio gibberish around her was driving her crazy, and she scuttled hurriedly along the solid ground to avoid it. The sound of blows connecting followed by a vaguely familiar voice broke through the row.

"I swear, I told you already! She's staying in the apartment off of Garmin Street!"

She froze. That was _her_ street, _her_ apartment! She backed up, flattening herself to the filthy floor in order to see through the vent. A man's old, worn sneakers next to a Combine's firm boots. The man shifted his weight to one side then the next, pointing with the toes of one foot before switching to the other. The hum of a club whined as it was swung through the air, more of a threat than an actual attack. The familiar voice gave a startled cry.

"We're through playin' around with you," growled a Metrocop, his voice garbled and warped through his mask. He grabbed his victim by the neck; Chell saw his feet dangle upwards.

"I already told you everything I know! I-if she's not at the apartment, I can tell you where she hangs out! The old train station, the department store on Fifth...look, I may as well let you know, there's a Resistance hideout on Main and Twelfth. She hangs out there a lot, too! I've got – there's a lot more places. Just please, please let me go!"

"Yeah, like we're gonna believe you now," the Metrocop snorted. Another hard blow, and the man fell to the floor.

Chell recognized him immediately, and once more the spark of betrayal burned in her heart. His name was Anton, a member of the Resistance – and, evidently, a Combine spy. She'd met him along with the others weeks ago, trusted him, shared her involvement at Aperture with them all. True, she'd hidden the details about the portal device and GLaDOS, but many of them already knew about the legendary Enrichment Center and its scientific interests. She looked her betrayer directly in the eye, glaring heatedly enough to melt the grate right off.

His eye widened – the one that wasn't already blackened – and she knew he'd seen her face. He pointed, sputtering through the blood pouring from his nose, "There! It's her! She's in the damn vents!"

Before she could think, panic overtook her, and she scrambled down the tunnel as fast as she was able. She banged uncouthly against the aluminum walls, making an unbearable amount of noise. Perhaps the 'cop wouldn't believe Anton. Perhaps he would. Either way, Chell wasn't about to stick around and see.

"What the-?"

She peered over her shoulder in time to see a white mask poke through an open grate. He quickly retracted, and a frantic and loud message boomed from all around her as he signaled her location. Shots were instantly fired in the place her body had previously occupied, filling the vent with intolerable noise.

"Stop firing, you idiots! We need her alive!"

The bullets stopped. Chell did not. She found another upwards passage and climbed up like a monkey, her former fatigue replaced again with pure adrenaline. At her wrist, Orion gave a chorus of frightened whimpers, but Chell's mind was strangely serene as she traversed across another hallway of vents. Escape seemed to be her forte; she was getting rather good at it.

After a few minutes, she paused, listening for the radios of her pursuers. Only her own movements and a small breeze whispered through the vents. Chell frowned. She backed up, putting an ear down the vent shaft to listen for radio downstairs. Nothing.

The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. Silence wasn't a good sign.

"Cancer," Orion suddenly whimpered, his tinny voice echoing. Chell looked down at him. He had reduced his lights again to a tiny, dull ring, shutting off her source of light.

A feral hiss sounded from the tunnel before her, followed by a series of metallic clicks. Chell's grip around the decorative pole tightened.

Cancer. As in the crab.

A common practice for the Combine was to let loose headcrabs into whatever hiding place the rebels used. Outnumbered, the rebels often fell quickly to the brain-controlling parasites, changing from humans into zombified shells as they were overtaken. The Combine would then cover the area with grenades or merely snipe off the slow-moving 'zombies' when they appeared.

With a cry like an angry cat, the headcrab leaped forward. Orion's LEDs flared in panic, lighting the tunnel and revealing the parasite. Its leathery, blackish-green skin shone as though it was polished, and its four tiny claws were tapered into fine points. Chell instinctively swung, more than aware that she didn't have adequate room to do any damage. Somehow, she knocked the headcrab back, and it screeched horridly. Poking at it with the butterfly, she forced it backwards until she passed a grate.

She didn't care where the vent let out. Facing a Metrocop was much more preferable to being trapped with a parasite. With any luck, one might kill the other before turning on her. She kicked off the grate, dropping unceremoniously to the floor and rolling to the side as her knees collapsed from under her. It was a harsh reminder of her beloved missing boots. The headcrab plopped down a second later, raising its front arms and hissing vehemently.

Fortunately, the room was empty, save for a series of massive computer panels that occupied an entire wall. There was plenty of room to fight now, and Chell smirked as she gripped her makeshift weapon with both hands.

Chell had only heard of these types: hideous black headcrabs that spat poison at their enemies, not immediately killing them but certainly leaving them prone to capture. At any rate, she decided it wasn't going to get anywhere close to her skull. As it leaped toward her again, she swung. The little bastard barely dodged, but Chell had already measured the trajectory of her swing and the 'crab's jumping arc.

Using the momentum of her swing, she spun on the ball of one foot, pulling the pole downward and then back up, like a roller coaster preparing for a quick descent. It took less than a second to aim for the shiny black body, and the pole connected with twice as much force as the original swing.

The cranial-conjugal piece of crap didn't have time to dodge or jump away. The bronze butterfly smashed into its leathery body, and greenish-yellow fluid sprayed from it as it gave a loud shriek. Chell swung the pole to the side, flinging headcrab-guts from it. Her lip curled as she nudged the limp body with her toe. If it wasn't thoroughly dead, it was certainly close. Satisfied, she turned her attention to planning her escape.

Orion, who had reverted back to a frightened, dim circle, suddenly flashed with life. She glanced down at him.

"Docking station!" he peeped, focused on the computer. Chell bit her lip. He'd given her good luck with computers in the past, but there was little sense sneaking around when the Combine knew where she was now. The building was crawling with them, all of them in a tizzy trying to track her down. A quick escape was the more imperative option.

She felt him jitter at her wrist, annoyed by her hesitation. "Prepare for splashdown! Come on come on come on!"

No. She couldn't afford the time. On the other hand, he'd repeatedly proven his worth. But if the Combine busted in on them, there was no hope! They had to escape _now_!

But what if they just ran into the open arms of the Combine? He might be able to devise a way past them! It might even be safer!

He's also a_ corrupted core_...

She growled to herself, rubbing her temples. She wanted to trust Orion. She really did. But recently she was finding it harder and harder to put her trust in anyone, least of all another core.

Her jaw tightened. She needed to make a choice, _fast_.


	8. tEh HaX0rZ

She sighed, pulling the cables from the holes in her sleeve. She shouldn't be doing this. She knew she was only setting herself up for another betrayal, another heartbreak. For all she knew, he would simply slip up and reveal their location, trapping them in the middle of the Combine fortress.

Her curiosity had gotten the better of her, however, and she wondered what he could possibly want with another computer. All of them were the same, right? Why was this one any different?

He sparked again as she plugged him in. She no longer worried about his shorting out, realizing that the spark was caused more by the loose connection of his plug. Immediately, the lines of code on the screens disappeared, replaced once again with videos and pictures of stars and planets. He gave a small chuckle, swirling his LEDs in a spiral.

The door suddenly clicked shut, locking her in. Chell swung to face it, paranoia creeping up her spine.

"Airlock secure!" Orion chirped cheerily.

Chell jumped as a strange, thumping noise filled the room. The stomping of boots. They'd been found out. Pinpricks of sweat flushed across her forehead as she looked around nervously for cover. A moment later, the gentle sound of a piano chimed in. Blinking, she stared down at Orion, who was still swirling his optic. A melody began, sounding out from his speakers, the singer's smooth croon filling the locked room.

_Fly me to the moon. Let me plaaaaay among the stars..._

Chell couldn't help but chuckle, both at the song and her own nervousness. She leaned against the wall, staring up at the constantly-shifting pictures on the screens. Whatever he was doing, he seemed to be enjoying himself, accenting the song occasionally with a chuckle or a pleased grunt.

"Oh!" he called suddenly. "Io! Hey, you should take a space break!"

That sounded pretty good about now. She slid down the wall, sat on the cold floor, and slipped off her satchel. Digging through it, trying to ignore the constant purring in her stomach, she took out the small bag containing the dried meat and the bottle of water. The meat – she could smell it through the bag, and it made her mouth water. Proper spices and drying technique hid the true taste of it, but everything's supposed to taste better when you're starving. It certainly smelled incredible. She took out a pinkish-yellow strip of it, staring at it hungrily.

Her eye then caught sight of the black headcrab on the floor, still lying in a pool of its own yellow blood. She looked again at the strip of meat then back to the dead parasite.

Stomach churning wickedly, she slipped the meat back into the bag.

Instead, she took a drink of water, trying to fill her slighted stomach with at least something of content. Sighing, she relaxed against the wall, letting Sinatra's smooth voice send her back to better times. Not that she was around during _his_ time, but it had been such a long time since she'd heard actual music. The melody was so nice, so relaxing...

"Io."

Her eyes fluttered open. He was in the middle of another song now: the rhythmic drums and brilliant harmonics of Queen's theme for "Flash Gordon" was making his optic pulse like ripples of water. She'd fallen asleep again, another catnap. Stretching, yawning, she looked up at the monitors. To her surprise, the screens no longer showed pictures of the solar system but a man's profile picture and information.

"This your space buddy?"

She stood up, moving closer to the screen. The disgruntled photo of Arris Brixton, a member of the Resistance, stared back at her. His information listed him as "Extremely Contagious," a spreader of dissent. A red-fonted status revealed that Brixton was still being sought by the Combine.

Chell nodded, recognizing him as the one who had given her the bottle of clean water.

"Lost in space! Danger! Danger!" Orion gave a strange, almost crazed laugh as the red status switched from "Seeking" to "Terminated."

For a moment, Chell's eyes shot wide in disbelief. She then realized what he was doing, and a broad smile crawled over her face. He switched to another profile, another Resistance member. She nodded vigorously, recognizing this man as one who'd pulled her away from one of many Metrocop beatings. Again, Orion switched the status to "Terminated" with a strange giggle.

"We will deal with your Rebel friends soon enough!" he rasped in a low voice, giving another laugh. Pouring through file after file, he "killed" men and women, chuckling the whole while as though it was some part of some grand joke. He started up a new song.

_Some people call me the Space Cowboy. Yeeaah..._

"Yeah!" Orion crooned along as the files flashed by. "Some call me the gangster of love!"

Chell laughed hoarsely, once again relaxing against the wall and watching her friends become liberated. The little core was certainly proving himself to her. While she was happy for his companionship, a part of her still allowed a glimmer of distrust, and she warned herself not to blindly follow him as she had done to Wheatley and, to an extent, GLaDOS.

She cracked a smile, thinking of the little potato hooked to the end of her ASHPD. How easily GLaDOS had caved when she had been at her lowest, almost begging for Chell's assistance. Not that Chell would have actually denied it, especially with the facility shaking and collapsing as Wheatley's negligence threatened their very existence. But Potato-GLaDOS had never bossed her around, told her where to go, or even argued with her.

That had been...nice.

Chell's smile remained, but her expression grew a little troubled. A small part of her worried that the Combine had already discovered Aperture. For all she knew, they could've already shipped GLaDOS off to Nova Prospekt. She bit her thumb, trying to chase that thought away, hoping she was wrong.

Suddenly, Orion stopped, and Chell found her own file displayed on the screen. "Aperture Prime" stood out in bold, flashing text in place of her name. A blurry, monochrome picture stood next to it. Other details were lit up in red and yellow, most notably her status of "Identified – Quarantine Initiated."

The music quieted down as Chell realized he was facing a difficult decision. They needed her alive. If they suddenly got the message that she had died while they were pursuing her, there would be a storm of panic and questions and investigation. Besides, if the reports said she was already dead, there would be nothing stopping them from simply shooting her and making the lie into truth.

He let out a noise like the thoughtful clicking of one's tongue. Chell sighed, crossing her arms, a troubled frown starting across her face. Finally, he let out a creepy chuckle, sending a host of uneasy feelings down Chell's spine. The red text switched from "Identified – Quarantine Initiated" to "Escaped."

Her face brightened. Perfect. There would be more Combine looking, to be sure, but they'd be scattered out instead of gathering around this central point. She had a chance this way.

Something by the door made a metallic shifting sound, and she jumped. A compartment beside the computer console opened, revealing a thick black loop of cable, about the size of her palm.

"Io! Put it on put it on!" jabbered Orion hurriedly. She tentatively picked up the loop and slipped it over her right hand. It was surprisingly light but slightly too big, and it was a struggle trying to keep it on her small wrist.

"Cloaking device! For the star field!"

Her face scrunched in confusion. Before she could question further, however, the doors gave a loud click as they unlocked.

"Mission complete! Ready for blast-off!"

She unplugged him, once again tying him securely to her left arm. Grabbing her weapon, she swung the pole through the air once or twice, satisfied with the whistle it made. She peeked out through the doorway, making sure no one was waiting for her in the hallway.

"Three...two...one..."

Alarmed at the sudden countdown and his oddly lowered voice, she gave a concerned look down at Orion. He gave a dark chuckle.

"Ignition."

A loud blast thundered from somewhere far behind her, rattling the walls and floor violently. She lost her footing and stumbled, grabbing the door frame at the last minute to keep her balance. The jolt felt as though it had come from the building across the street. Immediately, radio noise filled the air, and Chell saw some Soldiers and Metrocops fly past the end of the hallway.

"GO GO GO!" he screeched, and she tore down the hall and zoomed down a flight of stairs. Within moments she was out of the back door of the building. With the Combine distracted, she slipped past them easily; even the ones that saw her made no move to detain or injure her.

After all, according to the computers, she had already escaped.

The streets behind the building were cleared as well. Dark plumes of smoke curled around the area, and, turning around, she saw the sky was clouded with evidence of fire. Had he done this from the console? Planned this? How, unless...had the Combine already set that building up to blow?

And if that was the case, what had they done to the other, occupied buildings?

"Don't stop!" Orion cried, his LEDs sparkling feverishly at her wrist. "Keep going! Light speed!"

She broke into a run, starting down an empty street, trying to map the town in her mind and make her way to the outskirts. She thought she was heading north now, meaning she should start heading west. A division in the road came up, and she immediately ran to the left.

"No!" Orion yelled, loud enough to startle her. She stopped suddenly, grinding the balls of her feet painfully into the pavement to avoid falling over. With an annoyed grunt, she looked down at him.

"Head to Leo!" He made an arrow with his optics pointing east.

Scowling, she shook her head.

"Space cops in Pisces! Cancer! And...and...and," his voice shrunk to a low tremble. "..._Draco_."

She grimaced. Chell did not want to know what he meant by that. Biting her lip, she glanced down the opposite direction. A containment field blocked the path, but she had her own little key tied on her arm. It was worth a shot, and she could always double back.

She started out down that path, slowing down as she approached the wall. Orion shook violently at her wrist.

"No, just go! Light speed, Warp Factor 9! Ludicrous speed! Go to plaid!"

She gave him another look of disbelief, slowing to a walk. He gave an irritated grumble as she stopped at the wall.

"Brrrraaaacceleeeeet...fiellllld...freeeeeeequencyyyyy...mmmmmatch." He huffed, his explanation strained. Bringing his mind out of orbit took a lot of his focus.

Chell looked at the band on her wrist, eyes widening. Tentatively, she put her hand up to the field, gasping as she passed gently through it. The field gave a quiet warble as it was disrupted, sending small electric charges through her body. Cautiously, slowly, she walked through it until she was safely on the other side. A small shudder coursed through her as memories both wonderful and terrible ran through her mind.

It felt like a portal.

Her heart started to race, and she found herself subconsciously looking for another field just for another opportunity to pass through it. She started running again, looking at the core on her wrist for direction. He formed an arrow again, alerting her of another turn.

Another turn, another field. She grinned as she passed through it, feeling the electricity crackle through her body. It was _liberating._

Orion's arrow guided her safely through the streets. As the sun peeked up over the wall, she gained her bearings. He was leading her northwest now, and the city's edge was finally in sight.

She gave a cry of joy, and though it didn't extend past her throat, it made her heart flutter all the same. Seeing another field before her, she launched herself into the air, flying through it and feeling the wisp of energy breeze through her.

Freedom was on the horizon.

* * *

><p>"What's our status?"<p>

"Uh...Beta's on the way. Should be another...maybe hour or so."

She whirled around to face him. "What's the matter?"

"Wh-what makes you think something's the matter?"

The yellow optic narrowed threateningly. "Your voice. You sound nervous. Granted, you generally sound nervous. But there's something you're not telling me, isn't there?"

"Uh, well...I...that is..."

"Quit stalling." She lowered herself to eye level, glaring. "What's happened?"

"There's an issue with Gamma."

"Well, _there's_ a surprise. I thought you said we could recover him, even if he's powered off."

"We can. We _could._ Generally. There's an auxiliary power beacon that acts as a homing device. I'd planned to shoot the Excursion Tunnel toward that, but for some reason, I can't find the signal. I know he's out there; I just can't _find_ him. It's almost like he's...he's just turned off everything, like he doesn't _want_ to be found."

She groaned. "Leave it to that little idiot to do something like that. Did you try hailing him?"

"Of course, along with Beta. _He_ had some pretty uncouth things to say about you, by the way."

"I bet he did. Moron. Trust me, if I had it my way, he'd just stay out there. They _all_ would just float in orbit forever, and I'd never have to deal with any of them again."

"Bad blood with this one, too?"

"You're kidding, right? I hate _every_ core."

"Yes, but with these, you seem even more venomous. I'm still wondering exactly how they ended up in space. It doesn't have anything to do with you being a potato, does it?"

"_How did you know about that?_"

"Um..."

"Were you looking in my files again?" She raised herself up, staring down at him.

"Well, you won't tell me everything that's happened! I think I have a right to know, considering I'm partially responsible for those events."

She glared at him in silence for some moments before giving a resigned sigh and slinking back down. "Get Gamma here and I might tell you later. Now isn't exactly the time for stories."

"I'll do the best I can. Oh, one more thing. Alpha's signal started moving a while ago. I can't tell exactly where it's going, but you might want to prep the heavy weaponry just in case."

"Don't worry. Anything that even _thinks_ about getting into _my_ facility is in for a big surprise."


	9. The Dragon

She ran, eyes downcast, arm outstretched, watching the wavering little arrow at her wrist and following wherever it directed. This end of the city had changed drastically since she'd last visited. A large number of streets had been blocked off with huge walls of crystal-metal Combine material, forcing Chell to maneuver through a labyrinth of alleyways and narrow passages.

At the helm, so to speak, was Orion, somehow blessed with the ability to guide her around the blocked areas and potential ambushes. The radio call of the Metrocops gave away their locations, not that Orion had allowed her to run into many of them. The explosion Orion had rigged certainly attracted a lot of attention, and most police forces were currently too focused on that to bother with any wandering soul.

Chell relaxed a little, slowing her pace as she began to recognize the areas around her. For the first few weeks of her detainment in City 04, she'd spent a great deal of time in this area, spending almost every waking moment trying to open the huge gates at the edge of the city. She'd been such a nuisance that any Metrocop who recognized her would instantly light up his little spark-stick and commence beating. At first, the beatings had been mere attempts to drive her away, but her stubbornness and their impatience had melded quickly into a bitter whirlwind of pain and violence. The Resistance had saved her, whisking her away to more remote locations of the City before her mulishness had gotten the better of her.

She grinned, turning sharply down an alleyway even before Orion could direct his arrow. Yes, she knew this place all too well. Every hiding spot, every angle, every side street. At this rate, all Orion would have to do was open the gates, and she'd be home free.

The alley led out into a wide street. Keeping close to the sidewalk, she turned left. A short distance would lead her to a wide-open roundabout, and the gates would be only a short jaunt away.

Orion suddenly buzzed urgently at her wrist. "No! Io, turn around!"

She glanced down at him, scowling, keeping her pace. He might've known the other areas well enough, but now it was her show. The gates were so close; she could not afford to backtrack and circle all around the block just to end up at the same destination.

"Io, please! Reverse thrusters! Full stop! Io, GO BACK!"

The scene flashed through her mind so quickly she was almost unaware of it. Adrenaline, confusion, and anger flowed through her veins. Two voices sounded, both of them pressing and stern.

_We're so close! Go press the button!_

_NO! Do not do it! I forbid you to press it! _

_Press it! Press the button!_

_Don't press it! COME BACK!_

The moment passed in an instant, but the anger and betrayal still remained. There had not been enough time for the wounds to scar, and Chell felt the pain as though they were freshly-cut.

"Stop, Io! _Stop right now_!"

Orion began fidgeting so hard that he was nearly throwing her off balance. Giving another hardened glare, she shook her wrist viciously, and he gave a frightened cry. As she neared the roundabout, his voice suddenly lowered to a stuttering whimper.

"P-p-please, Io. G-g-g-go b-b-back. T-t-t-tur-r-r-n ar-r-r-ound. D-D-D-Dr..."

_UUUUUUUURRRUUUUUOOOOOHHHH..._

A loud ululation rose through the air, cutting him off. Chell halted, falling to one knee as her speed propelled her forward. Orion gave out a loud, high-pitched cry, and suddenly Chell wished she could do the same.

With a terrified yelp, she ducked into a narrow and short walkway. Slumping down beside a nailed-up door, she squeezed herself as close to the wall as possible. The ground began to shake underneath her – or perhaps it was she who was shaking.

"_Draco_," Orion whispered, his voice low and urgent. "_Draco_. _Draco_."

She clasped both hands over her ears as another loud, alarm-like groan echoed through the air. The pavement beneath her trembled rhythmically, counting off three massive footfalls. Air caught in her lungs, and her whole body started to shake.

A long spike of a leg, as tall as a building and decorated with sharp projections sitting at about the height of an average person, pierced the street beyond the walkway. The ground thundered with the impact, and Chell backed up against the wall so tightly she almost melded into it. A second leg swept past.

Then it appeared. The horrible, insect-like body, towering high in the air on impossibly-long legs. A large tube-like apparatus hung under its body, but Chell was more worried about the long, needle-like protrusion from its head. Her lungs pulled in a quick breath. then another as she felt the scars on her back ache and sting with remembrance.

They had barely been able to pull her to safety. In truth, there had been no reason for the Strider to be in the area. Its patrol had been far to the south of the city, a location where many had often tried to escape. For some reason, Civil Protection had brought it up to the heart of City 04, parading it around like a deadly trophy.

It had been the first time Chell had seen a Strider. Literally paralyzed with shock, she could only watch as it had stalked through downtown, firing wantonly at anything it could, smashing into buildings with its massive legs, and chasing rebels from their hiding places like a dog after rabbits. Somewhere along the way, Civil Protection had decided to make an example of her, and before she'd realized, a steady stream of pulse rounds had headed her way.

A rebel had grabbed her arm, had started to lead her away, but it had been too late. She had been struck three times, square in the back, her body jolting forward with such force that it had torn her from the rebel's grasp. She remembered lying on the ground, blood gushing warmly from her back, indescribable pain shooting through her body. She remembered the loud, triumphant cry of the beast as it had clambered off, shaking the earth with every step. She remembered the concerned shouts of her rebel friend as he called for the nearest medic. But she remembered very little _after_ that.

Now, though the pain was only a memory, her violent, shuddering breaths couldn't stop. Her lungs stole air, begged for it, only to expel it just as quickly. She let out an uneasy moan as the lack of proper oxygen made the world start to spin. She heard Orion's voice, muffled and distant. She heard the crashing gait of the Strider as it loped past. All of this was overshadowed by the rapid, deafening sound of her own heartbeat.

Her chest tightened unexpectedly, and for a moment she was convinced that she was going to die. Mentally, she searched for that little song that brought peace to her body and mind, but the tune slipped further and further away from her collapsing psyche. The Strider's footfalls were retreating, sounding further away with every thud, but her lungs and brain were still reeling with panic, as though the titanic beast was standing at the edge of the walkway with guns pointed straight at her.

_...mia bambina, O Ciel!..._

Her eyes snapped open. There! She stared hard at the pavement, trying to focus, trying to reclaim that one glimmer of sanity that would bring her back to reality. The words came in a rush, fast and almost unintelligible even in her mind.

_ChelastimochelastimoOCaraMia,addio..._

She shook her head, giving a groan as she searched again for the start of the song. Tracing it in her mind, climbing its lyrical ladder to the beginning, she felt her heart and frantic breathing slow, if only a fraction.

_Cara bel, cara mia bella_

_Mia bambina, O Ciel!_

There it was. She gave a deep sigh, relaxing her hands from her ears and nearly collapsing against the wall as the tune, now found, played out. Forcing her lungs to stop their convulsion, she looked around. Her addled brain still spun the world, but at least she realized that the Strider was gone.

She looked at her wrist. Orion glittered patiently, blinking his lights in a random pattern. A previously-unseen scratch on his cover told her she'd accidentally dragged him across the pavement in her panic. Giving an apologetic look, hoping he'd understand, she rubbed the scratches as though they would come off.

"Io," he began flatly.

She winced, casting her eyes away. Here it was: he was going to tell her that he'd been right all along and that she was foolish not to listen to him. In his own terminology, she was probably some...some wayward comet or exploding sun or something. Biting her lip, she looked down at him again.

"Yyyyyou ok-k-kay?"

Her anxious look softened into a smile – albeit a guilty one – and she nodded. Slowly dragging herself to her feet, she blinked back tears. He wasn't a bad core. He wasn't stupid. He was a little spastic, a little excitable, maybe, but in the end, he was all right.

She gripped the wall as her legs nearly failed her. The panic attack had been an atrocious waste of energy, and since she'd gotten neither decent sleep nor food for quite a while, she was suddenly feeling incredibly weak. Bracing herself against the wall, she began to wonder if escape was even possible.

"Warp speed," Orion peeped, and she fully doubted she could. "The Stargate is close! We can activate it! Intergalactic wormhole within fifty parsecs!" He jittered excitedly, giving an odd giggle.

Well, at least _he _was feeling better. Chell rolled her eyes. With a sigh, she peeked out into the street. The Strider long gone, everything seemed clear. She forced herself onward, trudging slowly toward the roundabout.

The gate was in sight, looming within the high metallic walls. Over three months ago, she'd been on the other side of that gate, pounding on it with both fists, eager to see the friendly face of another human. Since that day, all she'd found was misery and despair. All she'd wanted was a place where she belonged, a place where she had at least some illusion of control. City 04 was not that place, and she only hoped that Aperture was. Her dreams – nightmares in disguise – of the insane family of robots had been the only promises of freedom she could make to herself.

Now, she was so close to returning, so close to being free. Tired, hungry, and weak, she could barely keep hold of the butterfly rod, but at the very least, her determination to escape had been adequately revived.

In her excitement, she failed to notice how suspiciously free of Metrocops the area was.

Untying Orion from her sleeve, she immediately plugged him up to a large computer panel to the side of the gate. The familiar array of interstellar pictures popped up on the monitors, finally giving way to an assortment of random words and numbers. She trembled as she watched the passcode entry window pop up. Orion gave a series of jubilant giggles as he entered the codes.

"Done!" he announced, turning the lights of his optic expectantly to the gate. Chell, unable to contain a mad smile, stared fiercely at the large doors as though she was opening them with her mind.

Nothing happened.

Looking a little downcast, Chell glanced expectantly at Orion. The core's optic grew tiny, darting to and fro. On the computer's screen, the passcode entry popped up once more. Another code entered. The doors didn't budge.

Chell frowned. Multiple programs suddenly flew up on the computer, windows flashing up and down as Orion began to shuffle through the system. Nonsensical nervous mutterings poured from his speakers as a black window opened and lines of code began to appear. Shifting her weight onto one hip, Chell sighed wearily.

He was choosing now to mess up? Now, when she was to the very point of exhaustion, when she was just inches away from liberation? She was about to give another sigh when the sound of a cocked rifle brought her attention to more serious matters.

"Aperture Prime, your quarantine status has been approved! Surrender, or resign yourself to permanent offworld relocation!"


	10. The Flow

Chell winced, slowly raising her hands. The agent wrenched the pole from her grasp, throwing it to the ground with a reverberating twang before seizing her roughly by the arm and spinning her around to face him.

Her jaw tightened as she found herself face-to-face with two black-masked Soldiers flanked by two white-faced Metrocops. The one who had grabbed her was a Soldier, and now he lifted his pulse rifle to aim for her head. Her look turned from exasperation to one of extreme hatred, eyes narrowed, with a glare so fierce it could start the whole city burning.

"Oh no. No no no no!" Orion piped. Digital noise sounded from behind her, sparking and whirring and beeping. Not trusting the Combine enough to tear away her gaze, Chell clenched her jaw, hoping Orion wouldn't be noticed.

Locking her fingers together behind her head, she dug her heels into the pavement. If she was already caught, she wasn't going down without a fight. She'd rather die right here and now than be shipped off to Nova Prospekt. She snarled, voicing a weak hiss, curling her lip in utter distaste and defiance.

Unimpressed, the Soldier tightened his grip on the gun. "Prostrate yourself on the ground and prepare for containment."

Her only response was to glare hatefully back at the Soldier as though she hadn't heard what he'd said. No way in Hell was she going to do that.

"Get on the ground!" he barked, motioning with his gun.

"Ohmanohmanohmanohman..." Orion chanted worriedly behind her. The electronic whirring was growing disturbingly louder, and she thought she heard sparks strike from the console. A loud, metallic groan rumbled across the area, and the Combines' gaze suddenly flashed from her to the gate behind her.

It opened about a foot and then ground to a halt.

"Io," the core whimpered, and Chell had the strong impulse to snatch him out of the computer and run as fast as her tired legs could carry her. But the rifle aimed in her direction told her that would be a foolish and futile idea indeed. Looking back to the Combine, she knit her brows, lowering her balled fists to her sides.

The brutal hum of electricity buzzed from the computer, and more audible sparks shot out. Orion let out a dizzy, high-pitched moan, and the corner of Chell's mouth twitched, threatening to reveal her true, frightened state.

The Soldier cocked his rifle and took aim. The second Soldier beside him also lifted his gun, and the two Metrocops lit up their sticks.

It wasn't fair. It wasn't _fair_. The gate was _open_, and yet if she tried for it she would be shot full of holes. More importantly, she feared for Orion's safety, unsure of all the dangerous and disconcerting noises from behind her.

Was this really how it was going to end?

"This is your last warning, citizen!" the second Soldier growled. "Lay down on the ground, or we'll be forced to comet star meteor black hole Saturn!"

Chell blinked, her gray eyes widening. The other Soldier didn't seem troubled by this shift, but the two Metrocops lowered their weapons and exchanged what Chell assumed were confused looks.

"Sun galaxy Milky Way!" The first Soldier lowered his gun. The second, still holding his upright, gave a strange twitch of his head.

Behind her, Orion gave another groan. The electronic noises had ceased, leaving troublesome silence. She quickly flashed a glance behind her. Orion's optic still glimmered with life, brightly-lit and without a sign of fatigue or injury.

"Horsehead nebula!" cried the second Soldier, dropping his gun and grasping his head with both hands. Seemingly unaffected, the two Metrocops merely stared, too afraid to bypass their superiors and attempt to reclaim the target themselves.

"Venus Callisto G-G-Ganymede..." The first Soldier fell to his knees, reeling around dizzily. The second quickly followed, groaning piteously as he squeezed his helmet with both hands. Both slumped to the ground, spouting a litany of space-themed nonsense as the two Metrocops began backing away in horror.

By this time, Chell had already reclaimed her butterfly rod. She gave the two CPs a heated stare before whipping the pole threateningly through the air. It was a bluff; right now, she didn't have the strength to properly defend herself. Although she didn't know what was happening to the Soldiers, she had an inkling that Orion had something to do with it, and she was going to use the chaos to her advantage.

The bluff worked. Both Metrocops took off down a narrow street, spouting emergencies on their radios. Lowering the rod, Chell breathed a sigh of relief.

"GOGOGOGOGO!" Orion cried, his voice laced with more of an electronic buzz than usual. Chell spun around and yanked him from the console as sirens once again filled the air. The partially-opened gate was a bit more of a squeeze than Chell realized, but, like a cat, she slipped through.

The feel of the cool earth beneath her feet sent a fresh wave of energy roaring through her.  
>She had little choice but to continue running. Keeping close to the wall, she sprinted along the edge of the city, wary of any patrols that may have been stationed outside. Not too far off was the forest. Beyond that was the dreamlike field of ripe, golden wheat. And within that field...<p>

A smirk spread across her face as she crossed the gap and started into the trees. She was free now, and nothing would ever make her go back to that horrible place.

It only took a few minutes for her to realize that everything was entirely too quiet. Coming to a halt and slipping under the cover of a large tree, she looked to her wrist in alarm. Orion had gone completely dark.

Letting out a hoarse yelp, she disconnected him from her sleeve and gave him a gentle shake. Should she reset him again? What effects did that have on cores, anyway? Tapping on his shattered optic, she subconsciously searched the ground in hopes of finding a piece of stick.

With a cry and a strong jitter, Orion suddenly burst into life, and in surprise Chell juggled him unsteadily. His LEDs went supernova for a moment but quickly dulled back to their normal glow. His regular starburst optic appeared, and the bottom half quickly went dark, giving him a cheerful expression.

"Hi, Io!" he chirped. Chell let out a sigh of relief, sinking against the tree. The yellow optic shifted into a small circle, darting about as he assessed his surroundings. He gave another happy wiggle, almost shaking out of Chell's hands.

"We're out!" he screeched. "Out of space jail! Now we can go to space?"

Chell winced, unable to properly voice the complications of the situation. His optic flickered, still darting around.

"Not yet, space? But space soon?"

She gave a vague nod. There was still the issue of getting back to Aperture, and even then it was a gamble whether GLaDOS would allow her to so much as touch a portal gun again.

Orion seemed satisfied with her response, giving a cheerful giggle, and immediately burst into song. And, truthfully, Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage" didn't seem like an appropriate celebratory song, but somehow it seemed to fit Chell's current situation.

_The lunatic is on the grass..._

Chell smirked and started onwards through the forest.

* * *

><p>She fell to her knees in the soft mud of the stream, stooping over to splash its clear water onto her face. Despite the chilly breeze, she had been sweating quite a bit. It was a cold sweat, however, and though hours of travel had passed, she knew that she couldn't go much longer without eating or resting.<p>

Propping herself against a rock on the stream bank, she pulled out the dried meat again. Without thinking this time, she shoved it into her mouth. It was salty beyond belief, almost disgustingly so, with enough spices to cover up any natural flavor. Considering the source, covering up the taste was more than understandable. Regardless, Chell found it to be the most delicious thing the world had to offer at the moment.

Unwilling to drink from the stream, she opened her bottle of water and sipped from it. Dysentery was the last thing she needed right now, and though the stream looked clear, there was no telling what had previously encountered it.

She sighed, shoving a second piece of jerky into her mouth. This one didn't taste as good as the first. What would _really _be satisfying was a nice bullsquid steak – something she'd only had the privilege of trying once. Bullsquids, as the name implied, were large, bipedal, tentacle-faced beasts that charged whenever threatened. They seemed a rarity, not only due to their ability to spit acid and camouflage themselves, but because they were absolutely delicious.

Chell licked her lips at the thought. Surf _and _turf, all in one.

She chewed the jerky thoughtfully, watching the flow of the stream as it traveled toward the city. Somewhere along this stream, she remembered, was her charred Companion Cube. It had really been too heavy to lug around, especially now that Chell no longer had the ASHPD's ability to easily carry weighty things. She'd left it by the water in hopes of recovering it later, but since she didn't really have any bearings to follow, there was no chance she'd find it now.

Speaking of losing her bearings...

She glanced over at Orion, whom she'd placed on a rock while she cleaned herself off. He hadn't been much help since leaving the city – a headache, really – as he no longer seemed to know what direction to take her. Any attempt at communication had been met with only blank looks and pesky repeated requests for space. As tired and hungry as she was, she was in no mood to listen to his increasingly-annoying demands. Even his music was starting to grate her nerves.

Noticing her gaze, he beamed again, immediately launching into another song. "Rocket Man." At least it wasn't the Shatner version this time. She rubbed at her temples with a groan, a sting of pain shooting behind her eyes and forehead. Hopefully, she would reach Aperture soon. That, or he would run out of songs on his little playlist. Strapping the noisy thing back to her arm, she took another drink of water and wished it were something stronger.

A thought had been plaguing her for the last couple hours. Technically, it was an idea that had buzzed around in the back of her mind ever since she'd started dreaming of Aperture. Desperation and longing had forced her to ignore it, but now that her independence was a reality, she could no longer push it away. She was well aware that GLaDOS might not welcome her back. She was even more aware that the AI might try to kill her once she set foot inside the facility. Worse, the doors may not even open to her at all, and then what could she do?

And as willingly as she'd pushed away the question, she'd pushed away the answer. She would have to live without Aperture. Do as she'd wanted to do in the first place and leave forever, eking out her own living on whatever she could find. Anything was better than City 04. Even dying alone in the wilderness was better than getting harassed and beaten by Combine on a daily basis.

She knew she could do it. In fact, she could do it right now. Abandon the fear that GLaDOS would reject her and just find an empty house way out in the middle of nowhere, or wander off to some long-forgotten city and hide out. No one would be the wiser, not even Orion. And what could _he _do, even if he realized what she was doing? If Orion gave her too much trouble, she could always just toss him into the woods and have it done with. Or press his reset button again. She could be free. No Combine. No testing. No whining about space. Free to make her own choices for once.

The headache seemed to pulse and throb through every inch of her cranium. Even the early-afternoon sun decided to contribute to the pain. She glared heatedly down at the yellow core, a reminder of her past and a distraction from the future.

Noticing her, the full of his optic lit up, the bottom half slowly going black as he beamed happily at her, seemingly unaware of her grimace. The beginning strains of a new song began, followed by the smooth, mellow voice of the singer:

_Look at the stars. Look how they shine for you. And all the things you do._

All at once, a bitter-hot emotion struck her heart like a bullet, and she immediately felt prickles of tears flood her eyes. Choking out an aggravated cry, she curled her knees to her chest, grasping her head tightly between her hands and clenching her jaw.

She was a horrible person.

An awful, terrible, selfish monster of a woman. What in the world had she been thinking? To break her promise, to abandon this core who had essentially saved her life - what _was _she thinking?

Orion immediately stopped his music, giving a few quiet, confused grunts as Chell's shoulders trembled with her sobs. Her sin unknown, the circle of his optic darted to and fro in panic.

"Io..." he began gently.

Hearing her nickname - the nickname he had been kind enough to give her - Chell only sobbed harder, crumpling into a tight ball against the rock.

"Ohhh..."

He gave a nervous whimper, clueless as to her symptom and its cure.

Suddenly, he brightened, jittering quietly on her wrist. Her sobs slowly subsided, fading into confusion as a synthesized trumpet fanfare sounded from his speakers. A jazzy little melody started up in its wake, followed by a woman's high-pitched, comedically nasal voice.

_Staaar trekkin', across the universe! On the Starship Enterprise, under Captain Kiiiirk!_

She sniffled, looking up, the glimmer of a laugh on her tongue. Orion continued his song, optic happily half-lit.

Wiping her eyes, she smiled warmly at him, mentally reprising her promise to return him to Aperture, and thus, back into space. He deserved it. He was a good little core. Even if she had to beg GLaDOS, even if the AI kicked her out directly afterward, she would see her friend home.

* * *

><p>"Oh. You again? To what do I owe <em>this <em>pleasure?"

Grimacing at the acidity of her tone as he stepped into the chamber, he scratched his chin thoughtfully. The small device he held clutched to his chest glowed placidly, lines of data scrolling rhythmically across the bright screen.

Before he could answer, she scoffed haughtily, turning away slightly.

"If you're still having problems with Gamma, I'd rather not hear about them. I want solutions, not more issues."

"No, no further problems."

He scratched the back of his head.

"Just... something unusual I've noticed in the last few hours."

Producing a cable from somewhere along the back of the device, he stepped forward, and she dipped her head obligingly, allowing him to plug it into her main chassis. Immediately, a radar screen popped up on one of her larger monitors. A small yellow dot moved in a circular pattern then slid in a wavery sort of line before resetting and beginning its trek again. She studied the pattern carefully for several loops before turning to him.

"If this is some sort of joke, it's not funny."

"It's the path from the signal Alpha was giving out. Very strange, this pattern. You'd think that if _the y_recovered Alpha, they'd simply take him to one of their buildings and keep him there. But it seems like Alpha's been taken out of the city walls, too. The timeline of the trail is incredibly slow, so whatever's carrying it must've gone on foot."

She returned her gaze to the screen, and he rubbed at his chin thoughtfully, considering the results.

"Not only that, but the path it used to exit the city is not a common path. Most traffic is through the southern gates. It's like... whatever's carrying Alpha knows what direction Aperture is, and..."

Trailing off, he gave a sudden gasp of realization, eyes flying wide open. Beside him, the entire chassis jerked abruptly, and he knew she'd realized it too. They turned, staring at each other in utter disbelief.

"You don't think -" he croaked, suddenly feeling a weakness in his knees.

"It _can't _be," she murmured, turning back to study the screen.

Shakily, he started for the console.

"I'll send out the aerial cameras to the last known location."

"No need," she answered, tearing her gaze away from the monitor and raising the chassis toward the ceiling, "I've already employed the Border Inspection Reconnaissance Division."

He scowled, nearly pouting as he glared at the floor.

"Those pesky things again? You dote on them too much. At this rate, I'm never going to get to use my cameras..."


	11. The Cold

_Here comes the sun!_  
><em>Doo doo doo doo<em>  
><em>Here comes the sun,<em>  
><em>And I say,<em>  
><em>It's all right!<em>

Chell smiled and rolled her eyes as Orion continued his playlist. Her fatigue, though not completely gone, had faded significantly, mostly due to the bit of food she'd eaten, a fair amount of rest, and the thrill of being free from Combine tyranny. Her head still pounded mercilessly, but that migraine wasn't about to disappear for some time. It wasn't so bad that she couldn't ignore it, however, and even Orion had begun to seem less annoying.

_Suuuun, suuuun, suuuun, here it coooomes..._

The sun, determined not to dance Orion's tune, suddenly disappeared from view. Chell's smile vanished just as quickly as she looked up at the darkening skies. The storm clouds from last night seemed to have returned, threatening cold rain and wind. Orion's song faded sadly away, and he let out an annoyed grunt. His optic narrowed, shifting back and forth as he searched for a more fitting song. A fat raindrop splattered on the cracked lens, and he groaned discontentedly.

Chell grimaced. She'd feared it would start raining again, especially now that she was in the open without any protection. With a sigh, she reminded herself that it could easily be worse. It could be snowing.

In fact, it _should _have been snowing. Chell could only assume it was sometime in late November, considering the ripeness of the golden wheat and the many weeks she'd spent under Combine control. Sunsets were coming sooner, too, signaling the arrival of winter. But the air was not as freezing as it ought to be, and only uncomfortable rain fell from the skies. Chell had heard many things about the Combine stripping the Earth of resources, but until now she had seen no direct evidence. The unusual weather phenomenon must have been more than an unhealthy coincidence.

She brushed the water droplet off of Orion's optic, tucking him close to her chest to prevent him from being damaged. He gave an unhappy grumble and started up another tune. Low octave guitar and morose bass struck in slow, steady rhythm, contrasted suddenly by the male singer's falsetto voice.

_Starshine_  
><em>Never gonna find me<em>  
><em>Starshiiiiine<em>  
><em>When you gonna find me?<em>

Chell sighed, heading for cover under a nearby pine. She had hardly knelt down among the needles when a deep, strange rumbling echoed through the woods. At first, Chell thought it was a Strider, and she gave a weak, choked cry as she collapsed against the trunk of the tree. After a moment of no resounding footfalls, she peeked out of the branches, scouring the skies.

There was a burst of bright light as a hole was punched through the clouds. Through the hole, far off in the sky, Chell spotted a small dot rapidly falling to earth. It shimmered white-hot as it plummeted down, vanishing from Chell's line of sight behind some trees. Moments later, a resounding shockwave thundered through the ground.

Chell was already running. This must be Wheatley! It _had _to be him! At her wrist, Orion gave an uneasy warble, music all but lost to the wind as Chell jostled him roughly with every step. She shot him a sorrowful, apologetic look but didn't slow down. He would just have to deal with it.

She wasn't sure why she hoped it was Wheatley. The ending of their last encounter had been less than friendly on both sides, ending with what could only have been considered extreme selfishness on Wheatley's part. All things considered, Chell should have been blindingly angry at the thought of his return. But the prospect of seeing a familiar face – even one that had previously tried to kill her – excited her beyond belief. Anything but the white of Combine masks or the bright flash of the Scanners. Even the tired faces of City 04's surviving humans seemed intolerable.

A bright smile curled across her face, bare feet tearing into the dirt as she hurried toward the impact site. Already she could see smoke rising from the ground. She topped the crest of a hill, and her beaming grin turned into a look of shock.

She hadn't expected the impact to be this big. Orion had fallen straight down, but it seemed that Wheatley had come in at an angle. A long furrow had been plowed through the landscape, uprooting trees, shattering rocks, and cleaving through small hills. At a distance she could see the heart of the impact but could not see the object that had fallen.

The dark clouds, as though annoyed at the meteor's interruption, began to gather again. A bitter wind swept through the trees, but Chell could hardly feel it. As the rain started to fall, she broke into a run toward the newly-formed crater. Worry tore at her mind. If Orion's core-housing had been in bad shape after a direct hit...

She edged her way down the steep hill that separated her from the crash site, carelessly slipping on fresh mud and wet grass, using her butterfly pole as a brace down a particularly slick drop-off. It took several agonizing minutes for her to reach where the meteor had come to rest, each one feeling a minute too long.

A few fires had started around the impact site, but the cold dampness prevented them from going too far. Even now, most of them were being extinguished by the rain, and a thick mist crawled across the area.

She could see already that it was another core – the possibility of it being something else was infinitesimal. Drops of water hissed away as they hit the searing hot metal. Most of the core was torn away, the force of the impact splitting it like a watermelon. The optic looked intact, though it was dislodged and buried within the scalding metal.

"Space buddy!" Orion piped, jiggling on Chell's wrist. He laughed eagerly.

Chell jumped down into the bottom of the pit, careful to avoid the core itself. Crouching down, she peeked at the optic. It was dark – that really wasn't a surprise – but there was a long break down one side.

Giving a squeak, Chell clasped both hands over her mouth. Her footing failed, and she slipped back into the mud with a messy squish. She stared wide-eyed at the busted core as the rain poured harder, and only when Orion made a disgusted noise did she divert her attention.

Alarmed, she swiped water and mud off of Orion's optic with her other sleeve. Tucking herself against the crater's muddy wall, she curled her body around Orion and waited. There was no sense even touching that core without risking bodily injury. She only hoped that the rain wouldn't cause any further damage.

* * *

><p>"Beta's down."<p>

"I hope your calculations were more accurate this time."

"Mmm." He stroked his chin, staring thoughtfully at the lighted tablet in his hand. "He's landed somewhere in the woods. It's not very close, but at least it's not inside the city." He lowered the tablet. "Any word on...?"

"There's no visual yet," she said quickly, as though uttering the very name of the former test subject was a curse in and of itself. Considering past events, it probably _was _a curse. She swung around toward another monitor, its screen spilt into three different images. Each feed was of a view from up high, tinted in sepia to avoid the harsh glare of the sun. The forest passed below them, the occasional branch flying close to the screen as one of them dove in for a closer inspection.

He shook his head. "Those are the blurriest pictures I've ever seen. Where did you pull those cameras? The basement?"

She lifted her head, and a soft chuckle echoed through the chamber. "You have no idea what's in the basement, do you?"

He lifted a brow. "Gels?"

"As I thought. Don't hurt yourself thinking about it. At any rate, _my _reconnaissance team is just slightly more inconspicuous than those gigantic flying soccer balls that you call cameras."

He sighed, loathing yet another situation in which she was, in fact, right. Those moments had become far too often of late, in his opinion. "But we won't know if it's actually her."

"We'll know." The images on the screen vanished, and GLaDOS looked down at the floor. "_I'll _know."

* * *

><p><em>This is Major Tom to Ground Control<em>  
><em>I'm stepping through the door<em>  
><em>And I'm floating in a most peculiar way<em>  
><em>And the stars look very different today<em>

_For here_  
><em>Am I sitting in my tin can<em>  
><em>Far above the world<em>  
><em>Planet Earth is blue<em>  
><em>And there's nothing I can do …<em>

Orion stopped the tune, as if cognizant of his song's meaning. His balled optic rolled around the bottom of its circle thoughtfully. Then he focused on Chell, spreading out his lights in the starburst pattern.

"Io, is...is space buddy okay?"

She stared wearily into his optic. The cold was draining her; the rain dripping from her hair and face as she guarded the core from the miserable wet. Her gaze turned to the decimated core, and she forced a comforting smile and nod. In reality, she had no idea how the core inside the housing had weathered the crash, and most of her hesitation was not based on the fact that the metal was hot enough to sear the flesh from her palm. The rain, however, was showing no intention of letting up, and she knew that soon the water would begin to pool. The ground beneath her was already sloppy with mud.

She couldn't procrastinate any longer. It was time.

She unhooked Orion from her sleeve, keeping him balanced on her lap. Reaching over, she quickly tapped the core's metal skin with her fingertips. Finding no immediate discomfort, she pressed her fingers gently on its surface.

Warm. Still warm. But tolerable.

Tentatively, she reached inside, grabbing both halves of the optic and gently pulling them free. The wires came loose easily, as the core was more busted up than Orion's had been. Quickly screwing the two halves together, she pulled out her satchel and tucked both a protesting Orion and the black optic inside. It was a struggle to wrench her feet free of the mud, but she somehow managed to scramble upward out of the crater.

The wind began to die down as she slid under a thick pine. Rain still filtered through the branches, but it was a good enough cover for now. Pulling both cores out, she drew one knee up to her chest, balancing Orion on it while she inspected the empty core. It was built the same as Orion, with three long cables and the peculiarly inept "Reset" button on its back.

Chell wasted no time in sweeping up a dried needle from the ground, snapping it in half, and pushing both halves into the reset button's recess. The core let out a loud beep as it reset. Chell's heart froze, a grin spreading across her face as she whirled the core around, eager to face her hopefully former enemy and hopefully future friend.

There was more than a shade of disappointment when a bright green optic surrounding a long, dark green rectangle greeted her instead.

"Quick! What's the situation?" burst a throaty, deep voice. "Oh, hey, gorgeous! Whyyyyy aaaaare yoooooouu siiiiiiidewaaaaaaaayyyssssss?" The last syllable ended in a static hiss that slowed, warped, and finally faded out. The green of the optic flashed and stuttered like a strobe before going dark once again.

For a moment, Chell simply sat, staring stoically at the darkened core, unsure what to think or how to feel. Then she smiled. Yes, this may not have been the core she was hoping for, but if they were all going to fall, that meant only one remained.

She just had to keep her eyes skyward.

* * *

><p>Thanks to PiFactory for editing! Look for her here and on DeviantArt - she's awesome!<p>

Also, if you're interested, you can follow me on Jenovaii (dot) tumblr (dot) com. I generally post some teasers for HoHW, other random writings, and a lot of useless reblogs!


	12. The Wakeup

"Io!"

Orion jittered fervently, still balanced on her knee, his voice troubled. Chell turned the Adventure core over in her hands once more before giving Orion her attention.

"Space buddy – transmission lost! Ground control to Major Tom! Your circuit's dead! There's something wrong! Can you hear me, Major Tom! Can you hear me, Major Tom!"

"Shh-shh!" Chell coaxed, pressing a finger to her lips. Orion quieted, but his anxious tremors continued, buzzing faintly against her knee. She shook her head, clucking her tongue softly, and once more examined the darkened optic in her other hand. Orion looked, too, his LEDs forming an anxious, dancing pinprick of light.

Tracing the edge of the core once more with her finger, Chell was surprised to find a small port, about the size of a standard headphone jack, sunken in to the back half of the core, the half that would have ordinarily sat securely within the gyros of the metal ball. Gently flipping Orion over, she ran her finger along the back side of the little core, searching for a similar port and eventually finding one, caked with mud but visible.

Orion suddenly let out a cheerful gasp.

"Io, yes, brilliant! Shooting star, supernova! Docking station at the ready! Secondary power source detected! Prepare to commence shuttle refueling!"

Chell understood. She picked up the smaller of Orion's cables, holding it up to the other core's port to make sure it fit. Finding a match, she plugged it securely. Immediately, the Adventure core gave a jolt, and the bright green optic lit fiercely. Chell realized she was still holding him sideways and turned him so that the crack in his lens turned disappointingly horizontal instead of Wheatleyishly vertical. The darker green of his optic immediately shifted into a narrow slit.

"Wh-wha? Where am I? What's goin' on? Who's – _hey!_"

The dark slit moved to the side of the optic, as if to glare at Orion. Orion responded with a bright starburst of his optic, bottom half blackened to show his happiness at the core's recovery.

"Aw, no _way!_" The rectangle widened, looking now up at Chell. "Hey, sugar, I know you did _not_ just plug _this_ guy into _me_."

Confused, Chell nodded. The rectangle made a loop around the green lake of lights, the supposed equivalent of an eye roll.

"Well, wouldja kindly unhook this fella from my person? I'm tellin' ya, darlin'! Some things you just don't _do_to another core without 'is permission!"

An uneasy blush crept across Chell's face, though she had little idea why. It wasn't as though the ports were anything particularly sensitive or private. Unless they _were, _in which case Orion's hacking...

Chell shifted to an even deeper shade of red. Maybe she shouldn't think about it too hard.

She carefully disconnected Orion's plug, threading the cable through her sleeve. The excited yellow core began incessantly chanting a string of "Space buddy! Space buddy!" with his optic bobbing happily. The Adventure Core glared heatedly back.

Tapping her chin, she frowned. Although she remembered that this _was_the Adventure Core, she also remembered that he had another name. He'd said it before, but that was some weeks ago and during the middle of a very emotionally-charged battle. It didn't seem fair, just calling him "Adventure" while Orion had a perfectly good name. If only she could recall...

"All right, spacehead. That's enough. Shut yer trap; no one wants ta hear ya." His focus shifted back to Chell. "Hey, sugarlips? You really hangin' out with this guy? I say we ditch 'im."

Chell scowled. Geez, what a...

Oh. That was his name. _Rick_.

Really, she hadn't wanted to awaken him in the first place. It was only because Orion was so concerned about him. That thought made her smile; Orion really was a good little core.

"Now...where we goin', honeycakes? Somewhere...private? Maybe I can show ya all them belts I toldja about."

Chell felt her eyebrow twitch. He was really starting to –

"_Don't talk to Io like that!_"

She jumped, looking at Orion in surprise. His friendly voice had turned slightly venomous, and though his speech was not space-related, there was no sign of his usual stutter. His optic was half-lowered, almost in a glare. It was the first time she could remember having seen the little core so incensed. Even Rick seemed a bit surprised, his rectangular optic narrowing to just a single trembling line.

Orion let out a quiet huff, his optic returning to normal as his focus traversed to Chell. She felt a slight warmth to her cheeks, a little embarrassed but also just a touch flattered.

Not that she couldn't handle someone like Rick on her own.

Quickly recovering, Rick's optic grew wide. "Hey! Better watch that tone, space cowboy! I'll talk the way I wanna, and you better be glad we're in front of a lady, else I'd whoop ya inta next Friday."

"C-come and ttttrrrrrryyy it," Orion growled back, his stutter returning.

Rick wiggled, optic flaring as he glared down at the other core. "Oh yeah? Why don'cha c'mere an' say that to my face?"

"Crab nebula!" Orion countered derisively.

"Meteor brain!"

"Milky Way!"

"Space pansy!"

"White dwarf!"

"_Oh it is on!_"

Chell rolled her eyes, grimacing at the two. Honestly? As if she didn't have problems enough. Grabbing Rick in her right hand, she gave both of them a vigorous shake.

"Whooooaaa!"

"Gyaaaa!"

Both cores fell silent, optics darting nervously to fix on her face. As soon as she was sure that she had their full attention, she unleashed her secret weapon.

Though she hadn't always been mute, as far as Chell could remember, she'd never liked talking very much. It had always been difficult for her to use words properly, to find and pronounce correctly the right phrase to fit the situation. Therefore, she'd always depended on her body language and facial expressions.

There was one expression in particular that she'd always found successful. Privately, she had taken to calling it the "Black Mamba." The technique itself was simple; a glare that silenced almost any enemy, that immediately reduced them to a frozen little whelp in her gaze. She'd actually used it before on Wheatley during one of his more extreme fits of verbal diarrhea, and it had worked like a charm. In fact, the only one it _hadn't _worked on was GLaDOS, and Chell had noticed that the AI had purposely avoided eye contact in that situation.

It held true now, as she turned it on her noisy companions, glowering fiercely. Both cores narrowed their optics to tiny dots. Even the rectangle became a mere single digit of LED. With a firm nod of her head, she sent her message loud and clear: _Shut up._

"Sorry," Orion peeped, dodging his optic away.

"Yeah, sorry, sugar – er, Miss."

She shook her head again and leaned against the trunk of the tree. The rain was still pouring as hard as ever, and since Chell didn't want her newfound companion to short out, she needed a way to safely carry him. She certainly didn't want to tie him to her _other_wrist, partly because she used that hand to attack and partly because she didn't want him commenting on her chest again. In fact, she was already feeling uncomfortable with holding him on her knee.

An idea struck her, and she grabbed Rick's cables, tying two them together to make a loop. This, she placed around her neck, securing the bobbing core on the left side of her chest. The third loop she wrapped around her ribs, pulling it up and securing it to the others to make a three-point harness of sorts. Pleased, she grinned down at Rick, who only blinked his rectangle twice as if in confusion before brightening again and beaming up at her in return.

"Great idea! Now I can look at yer pretty face while we're walkin'!"

Chell winced. That _hadn't _been the idea.

"H-hey? What's that up there?"

Frowning, Chell followed the gaze of the optic to a tree across from her. Huddled together on a low branch, sheltering themselves from the rain, were three black birds.

* * *

><p>"So."<p>

"Shut up."

"They had to stop."

"Shut _up_."

"My 'flying soccer balls' don't need to stop in the rain."

"I'm serious!"

"Pretty waterproof, in fact."

"I _will _get out the neurotoxin!"

"And they eat far less."

He let out a frightened yelp as one of her claws whistled past, swinging dangerously close to his head. He backed away, but the claw grabbed him, wrapping securely around his ribs and holding him firmly. She lifted him up about a foot, just enough to stare eye-to-optic and incite a bit of fear.

But he, used to this treatment by now, merely smirked, treating the whole thing as a joke.

"Those are my _babies_," she hissed, her optic narrowing.

His head tilted to the side. "Funny. I only remember one of us digging up worms for them to eat. Cleaning out their poopy little box. Giving them pans of water to bathe in."

She huffed, annoyed, and set him back down. "Yes. But _I _trained them. Therefore, _I'm _their mother."

"They appreciate me more. Don't you hear those little sounds they make when they see me? Those are sounds of love."

"Yes, only because you _pet _them."

Her voice was tinged with distaste, which he knew could only mean one thing.

"Oh, you're jealous."

"_Please_." She reeled around, the robot equivalent of turning her back to him. Which, of course, meant he was right.

"Well, if you'd let me make you an android body –"

"I told you, I am _not_ putting myself into some ridiculous human body. It's _degrading_."

"You know, I _could _use an extra pair of hands around here instead of a clumsy claw." He pushed at it pointedly as he spoke, and she retracted it partway into the ceiling.

She whirled around. "_My claw is_...what in the name of Science?"

Frowning as she broke off abruptly, he followed her gaze, turning toward the tri-paneled screen behind him. All three sepia windows showed a figure huddled under a pine tree. The shimmering glow of two optics sparkled through the ruddy haze, one on the figure's chest, the other on its hand. The picture was blurry – very blurry – but they could distinctly see the figure's long dark hair and fierce, determined eyes.

"It's her," GLaDOS whispered incredulously. Her massive body jerked upward. "Oh, it's _her! _Good job, killers! Mommy's so proud! And when you get home, perhaps 'Daddy' will dig you up some nice, tasty treats as a reward!"

She chuckled, bemused by her own joke, and turned to him to gauge his reaction. Instead she found him pale, staring glassy-eyed at the screens. His hands trembled at his sides, mouth gaping open. He swayed unsteadily, and his head bobbed uneasily, as though he was slowly losing his balance.

"Oh no..."

Her claw shot down just in time as he collapsed, catching him under the arms and propping him into a half-standing position. He didn't seem phased by the fall – he hardly seemed to notice that he'd fallen at all.

"Her," he mumbled dreamily. His head lolled around, neck limp. GLaDOS's optic opened wide with concern as he ran his hands along the claw, disbelieving of its existence even in the presence of tactile stimulus.

"It's her," he muttered again, and she felt his full weight on the claw. His hands clenched and unclenched, trembling in their moments of relaxation. His eyes met her optic and looked directly through it.

She could only guess what he truly saw.

She tightened her claw only a little as a chanting of "It's her. It's her." escaped his lips. The intercom let out a high-pitched blip.

"Blue," GLaDOS ordered, her voice calm, "come to the Central Chamber."

Within seconds the door of the chamber opened, and a squat robot with a spherical body ambled in. Its single optic and details along its arms and legs were bright blue – hence her name for it. Behind it strode a slender robot with a conical, smooth body, an orange optic, and orange accents. GLaDOS regarded the other robot with cynicism.

"Orange, I did not tell _you _to...oh, never mind." Her focus switched to the man propped in her claw. "Blue, take him to the infirmary and set him up. He's had an episode, and I didn't catch it in time."

Obediently, the squat robot stepped forward, extending its hand to the still-chanting man, who looked at it as though it were a shiny bauble. After a moment, realizing the man was not going to simply come along, Blue gently grabbed his arm and pulled, releasing him from the claw. Steadying himself on the robot's spherical core, the man allowed himself to be led from the chamber. Orange followed in their wake, trailing like a lost puppy.

GLaDOS watched the entourage, waiting until the door sealed shut again before turning again to study the sitting figure shown in the panels.

"Stay strong, Lab Rat. I have a feeling I'm going to need your help."


	13. The Watchers

"Are you all right?"

He rubbed his forehead, groaning softly as he limped toward her, propping his weight on the unusual construction in his left hand. Made of the tall back leg of a turret, it had been straightened, and other bits of turret pieces had been welded onto it, protruding outwards like some horrific inverted Christmas tree. The pointed tip clicked rhythmically against the floor.

"Years ago, my condition would've been the farthest thing from your mind."

"A lot has changed since then. Turns out my need for you has a little more permanence than I once assumed. Now: are you all right?"

"I'm...I'm well enough."

"Funny. I didn't know she'd have an effect like that on you. Do you have feelings for her?" GLaDOS chuckled.

He looked away, staring grimly at his cane.

"Oh, come on, I didn't mean it like –"

"No, that's not the case." His voice was low, uneasy. She descended to study him, although he shifted to avoid her gaze.

"...I see." She rose, returning to her screens.

"How-how is she?"

"The rain's let up, but it's getting dark. She's inspecting the Division, currently."

* * *

><p>Chell could tell immediately that these were no normal birds. For one thing, though their heads jolted to and fro, they hadn't even budged when Chell approached. For another, they had tiny, white <em>things <em>strapped to their heads and chests.

For the past several minutes, she had been analyzing these _things _from a safe distance, not wanting to scare the birds away or get pecked in the face. Unfortunately, rain clouds still covered the sky, and the sinking sun drew long shadows across the woods, making it impossible for Chell to see much of anything. She squinted at the birds for quite some time before slinking back with a disappointed huff.

"Moonbeams!" Orion cooed helpfully, and his optics flashed brilliantly, lighting up like a lantern. Startled, the birds fluttered their wings, jostling the branches around them and knocking down a few loose needles, but did not take off. It was the first real movement they'd made since Chell had spotted them.

Chell pointed her wrist – and thus Orion – at them, bathing them in the optic's yellow glow. Still unable to see clearly, she pulled herself up on a couple of branches, still keeping her distance in case they decided she was a threat. She wasn't sure what sort of birds they were: long-tailed, stocky, with piercing yellow eyes that stared accusingly down at her. Their long beaks were thick and curved, and Chell could almost swear there was some sort of metallic covering on the tips of them. On their heads they wore tiny white caps, decorated in black with something Chell couldn't really identify. Strapped to their chests were little harnesses, white with a black circle in the middle. Above the circle was a small emblem. Chell squinted, struggling to make it out.

Her eyes shot open. She lost her grip on the branches and fell, landing on her backside amid the carpet of wet pine needles. Both cores voiced their discomfort at the sudden jolt, but Chell ignored them, merely staring wide-eyed at the three birds.

They were from _Aperture_.

Fear, anger, curiosity, and unadulterated joy flowed through Chell at once, leaving her head spinning and a bittersweet taste in her mouth. _Aperture_. That could only mean one thing: GLaDOS had sent them. But how? GLaDOS hated birds more than anything, at least from what Chell gathered. How had she procured three willing and stoic avians upon which to strap this unusual gear? How did they find _her_, alone in the middle of the woods? Those little black holes on the birds' harnesses – were they cameras? Was GLaDOS _watching_ her? _Had_ GLaDOS _been_ watching her? If so, why hadn't that _stupid, stupid _AI who _dared _call herself Chell's best friend helped out at all? Had she just watched as Chell had been beaten to a pulp by Metrocops? Chell imagined her watching those tapes and laughing riotously.

No.

She stood, balling her fists, the rage and rapture quarreling within her mind. GLaDOS didn't let her die before. GLaDOS pulled her back from space. Was overjoyed that she was still alive. Set her free. There was no way GLaDOS would have just allowed her favorite test subject to be beaten like a pinata, starved, beaten again, and forced into hiding. GLaDOS couldn't have known how bad the outside world was when she'd let Chell go.

...Right?

She relaxed her hands, sighing, and stared up at the birds. They merely stared back, twitching their heads back and forth and occasionally making tiny, irritated clicks. At any rate, there was no denying that GLaDOS knew she was coming. Whether Chell would be accepted was another story entirely. Still, three birds were not going to deter her from her plans, and she still had her promise to Orion to keep.

After making sure that Orion and Rick were all right and firmly attached and securing her butterfly rod safely between her back and the satchel, Chell set off, passing by the birds and using Orion's glow to light her way. Not to be outdone, Rick also brightened his optic, giving Chell a steady green beam while she used Orion as a searchlight.

The sun was far to her left, painting the remaining streaks of clouds with pink and blue, showing off a cotton-candy sky. She watched it through the trees, grinning, considering it the sun's apology for being absolutely disagreeable earlier and allowing rain to come between them.

The rustling of branches and tiny pips from the trees behind her told Chell that the birds were following. That was expected, especially if they were working for GLaDOS. She kept pace, neither waiting for them or trying to outrun them; there was little sense in doing either. Now all she cared about was reaching that field of gold and the little metal hut in the middle of it.

Abruptly, the birds began squawking and crying, a dreadful row that pierced Chell's tired ears and aching brain, making her turn swiftly with the Black Mamba primed for launch on her face. The trio had settled on a nearby tree, several feet to Chell's right, hopping madly through the branches and making every conceivable sound in their bird vocabulary.

Chell looked at them curiously, raising a brow in confusion before continuing on her way. She hadn't taken but a few steps before they followed, swooping off the branch and into her face, flapping and chirping angrily. Grimacing, Chell backed away.

"Think yer goin' the wrong way, sister," Rick muttered casually.

"Navigation error?" Orion peeped.

The birds flew back to the tree they'd previously occupied and began their shouting again, as if agreeing with the cores. With a sigh and a feeling that she'd rather be following her own intuition than that of three manipulated birds and two corrupted cores, Chell turned and followed. The trio flew ahead of her, forming a little black dotted line as they hopped from tree to tree.

Chell hid it, forced it down, refused to take stock in emotions based on hope and dreams. Her dreams, nightmares in disguise, were bad enough. For months, she had refused to plant them in fear that the Combine would kill the sprout. Finally, finally, she'd taken the risk and attempted to clutch at hope, the elusive aether that promised to fog her mind and numb the pain of merely existing.

"Man makes plans, and God laughs," said the old adage. Chell had adhered to this; it seemed to describe her life fairly accurately. Therefore, she hid it, forced it down, that unsinkable feeling that these three black angels were leading her home.

* * *

><p>They reached it just before the sky turned dark. Looking out over the broad expanse of wavering wheat, Chell felt a rising in her chest. Rick seemed to somehow notice it; from the corner of her eye she saw his optic slide her direction. A wide grin spread across her face, a foolish, lopsided grin she couldn't stop or stifle by any means.<p>

She had _made it_.

Creeping out of the woods, she took one step on the ground of the wheat field. The softer earth yielded easily to her bare foot, pricking it with dried and discarded bits of wheatstalk. She moved slowly out of the woods, through a different kind of portal, feeling electricity flow through her fingertips even in the absence of technology. Letting out the biggest and most relaxing sigh of her life, she felt a huge weight slough off of her shoulders.

She started to walk, ignoring the stabbing dry grass against her tough soles, breathing in lungfuls of molding, wet wheat. Much of the field had gone dead; browned and blackened stalks folded like willows, leaving large bare patches in their wake. The night sky was appearing, a gentle wind blowing away the clouds. The moon, nearly full and providing a surprising bit of light, gazed down at her, and she even saw several familiar constellations as the stars began to sparkle through the darkness.

The three birds flew from the forest and into the high grass, pecking at the ground and foraging for insects, taking in their own little reward for their efforts. Chell stopped to watch them, bemused by how normal the behavior was for such abnormal creatures.

"Io?" started Orion calmly. She held up her wrist to look at him.

Half of his optic went dark, his expression expectant and hopeful. "Can you h-h-hhhold mee u-up so I can s-s-see?"

Chell blinked in confusion. Then, she smiled warmly as she understood. She draped her left arm up on top of her head, essentially wearing the bright little core as a hat. She knew she looked silly, and from the way the birds had ceased their foraging to stare at her, she could only assume that GLaDOS probably thought so, too.

Orion trembled quietly, cooing wordlessly as he stared into the sky. Chell began to walk again, hearing excited hints and whispers of "Space space space gonna go back to space" from the little core. A steady stream of pensive silence followed, accentuated every so often with a melancholy sigh that sent a strange stinging into Chell's chest.

Her smile eased. Suddenly she realized there would be a time that she would have to let the little core go, and even though she'd known him for less than a day, the thought of being without him made her heart ache. But she knew there was only one real thing he loved, one desire in his tiny processor of a heart, and right now he was staring at it.

After a particularly long and disquieting sigh, Orion started yet another song, and Chell's face lit up once more in a smile.

_Meet me in outerrrrrrr space_  
><em>We could spend theeeeeee night,<em>  
><em>Watch the earth come up...<em>

"Agh," Rick groaned, looking in Orion's direction. "Hey, Space Case! D'ya hafta play that garbage? C'mon, I got sensitive ears, here!"

Orion simply huffed and increased his volume.

_I've grown tired of thaaaaaat place_  
><em>Won't you come with me?<em>  
><em>We could start a-GAAAAAAAAAAAIN<em>

Chell chuckled. Rick's optic narrowed. "Sweetheart, you can't really like all this -"

"Shh-shh," Chell cooed, tapping a finger to her lips, unable to dissolve her grin. The birds fluttered ahead a distance, almost impatiently, landing in a line that Chell assumed pointed towards Aperture. She could barely see their forms in the dark, but Rick kept his light on them. Their black feathers gave an iridescent glow, like oil on pavement, as the green light hit them.

_How do you do iiiiit?_  
><em>Make me feeeel like I dooo<em>  
><em>How do you do iiiiit?<em>  
><em>It's better than I-<em>

Orion's music came to a halt with a strange burst of static. Alarmed, Chell stopped, lowering him. His optic was a tiny dot, shifting nervously around the void of his optic.

"Space cops!" he whispered.

Chell's heart froze. With a quiet "tch tch" and a frantic wave of her hand, she signaled to Rick to douse his light, which he somehow understood and complied. The birds, seeing the shift in atmosphere, flew beside Chell's feet as she crouched down in a patch of blackened wheat.

She didn't know how they'd made it this far or how they traced her. She didn't even know where they were. All she knew was that Orion was panicking and most likely had a good reason to do so. Biting her lower lip fiercely, she looked to him for more information.

He gave her nothing but nervous darting and whimpers.

Chell herself gave a quiet whimper, peering anxiously over the tops of the grains. Terror had consumed the joy in her chest, leaving only bitter hollowness. She was _so close_to safely, to peace, only to have the Combine threaten to crush her dreams once more.

"Twenty yards to yer southwest," Rick growled suddenly, his voice low but serious.

Chell blinked at him, giving a confused grunt.

"Hey, I know it seems like we just met, but I'm askin' ya to trust me, sweetheart. I can _hear _'em, plain as day."

Her look of fear did not fade but shifted to frightened disbelief. If he could hear them, why hadn't he said anything before?

"Been listenin' for a while now. Wasn't sure exactly what I was hearin', an' you two seemed like you were enjoyin' yerselves so much. Sounds like about ten of 'em, 'bout fifty feet from here. Patrol, seems like, or some kinda military formation. Slow-paced, ain't lookin' around too much. Guns, though. Not yer normal kinda gun either."

Chell tightened her jaw. If Rick's senses _could _be trusted, that meant they were carrying pulse rifles. If they were carrying pulse rifles, odds were good that they were Soldiers instead of Metrocops. Conditioned to be completely void of humanity, with better accuracy and possibly equipped with night vision or some-such thing. While the pulse rifles wouldn't be enough to kill her outright, the pain would make her wish otherwise.

"Somethin' else," Rick said, lowering his voice a little more. "The way I hear 'em movin', they're not usin' the same trails we were. Only means one thing: we ain't their primary target."

Fierce sparks of anger raced up Chell's spine, setting every hair on her neck on edge and igniting a fire in the ashes of her eyes. Giving a heated huff of air through her nose, she tugged at Orion's and Rick's cords to make sure they were still secure.

She saw them now as she peeked over the wheat; dozens of little blue dots twinkling like demented stars in the distance. Knowing the dark blue of her regulation jumpsuit would disguise her for the time being, she rose, straightening her back, looking out on the horizon of the woods with determined eyes. With another nasal huff, she broke out into a run across the barren field, scattering the birds and sending them skyward. They immediately marked the trail toward Aperture, and Chell followed as fast as her worn legs could carry her.

She would _not_ let them have her dreams. Not after she'd come so far. They would not take her dreams. They would not take her life. Most of all, _they would not take Aperture._


	14. The Race

"Awright," Rick said as he bounced uneasily on Chell's chest, "in a minute, yer gonna get in a position where they'll be able ta see ya. Shots gonna be flyin' soon, so whatcha gotta do is serpentine!"

Chell grunted, giving him a quick glance.

**"**Know what that means, baby? Ya gotta be all over this field, dodgin' right an' left an' throwin' 'em off! They're gonna do somethin' called 'leapfroggin', two runnin' two shootin'. They'll be chasin' ya, but they won't hit ya if ya run around. I'll tell ya when ta switch directions! Trust me, sweetheart, I've done this _hundreds _a' times!"

Somehow, Chell doubted that.

Regardless, she ran faster, the hard, dead wheat stalks piercing her bare feet. Adrenaline, her constant companion, allowed her to ignore all of it. As the sound of hissing radio static hit her ears, she leaned over, making her body a smaller target. Shots suddenly pelted the ground, blasting up chunks of dirt and dried grass. She resisted the urge to shield the back of her head with her hands,

Rick's dark green optic dartedto and fro along the ground. "Shootin' at yer feet? Honey, you better motor it! Kick it inta high gear!"

Panting already, Chell forced her legs to move faster. A slight sting formed in her side; she pushed it away, knowing there were much more pain in store if she slowed. She didn't even see the tin shed, but the birds flying above, only visible by their white harnesses, still pointed the way. Putting her faith in the strange birds, in the corrupted core, Chell suddenly realized one important thing:

She was going to die.

**"**Man, what'd you _do_to these guys, baby?" His optic flickered back and forth, still watching the impact of the pulse rounds at her feet. "They wanna take you alive!"

**"**Spaaa-aaaa-aaaaace jaaa-aaaaa-aaaail," Orion yelled haltingly as he bounced on Chell's wrist.

Rick's optic shifted in Orion's direction. "Yeah, you're _not helping_, Space Case!"

Actually, the threat of Nova Prospekt was an _excellent _motivator.

Chell moved to the left under Rick's command, taking only a few steps before swerving right. To his credit, Rick's advice was proving worthwhile; the blazing blue bolts from the pulse rifles scattered everywhere along the ground, tearing up the earth but missing Chell's agile legs entirely.

**"**Left!" Rick called, and Chell switched again. She smiled. Perhaps she wasn't so dead after all. As long as her body held out, she'd be able to make it.

* * *

><p><strong>"<strong>What are they doing? Division, what _are_you doing? Turn around!"

GLaDOS wavered impatiently, seeing nothing but dead field and dark sky in her cameras. The birds obviously didn't care, as they made no effort to turn.

"

I _said _stop and turn around! Why is she running? Is there something else out there?"

**"**Maybe she's just excited." His wavering voice and nervous brush to the back of his head said otherwise. "There's nothing on the radar yet."

**"**_Yet_," she hissed. "Let's hope it stays that way."

* * *

><p><strong>"<strong>Go left, sweetie, left! Now right! Yeah, switch it up, leave 'em guessin'!"

Chell bounded through the field like a deer, keeping low under Rick's direction. They couldn't shoot what they couldn't see, and though it was an incredibly tiring way to run, it was a whole lot better than getting shot.

The birds were almost invisible now, soaring higher into the air until only specks of their white breastplates could be seen. Chell was having difficulty tracking them _and _following Rick's orders, and she was now fully certain that she was traveling the wrong direction.

**"**Go right!" Rick hollered, and Chell groaned miserably as she turned again. Her feet shuffled wearily, and it took great effort for her to pick them back up again. Adrenaline could only go so far, especially when it wasn't being artificially pumped into the air. Her lungs began to burn, a silver-hot flame that pierced through her chest with every breath.

**"**Come on, sweetheart! You ain't gonna let 'em get ya, are ya? Yer better'n that! Pick those long, sexy legs up! Let's go, sugar! Move that tight little butt of yours!"

**"**St-stop talking to h-her like th-that!" Orion peeped, his voice still wavering as Chell's arm swung up and down. He shuddered so hard that he almost threw off her balance, and she swerved to the right to compensate.

Looking skyward, she only saw the bright stars and the mostly-full moon. The birds were nowhere in sight. A cry rolled from her throat, and she quickly aimed to the right, hoping she had merely wandered a bit off-course.

Then she saw it. Far off in the distance, a mere speck of dull yellow light. Chell wasn't sure if it _was_the little tin shack, but at this point, any hint was a good hint. She started toward it, ignoring Rick's commands as he urged her to the left and right. She barely avoided a pulse round; it grazed the leg of her trousers, the mere force of it setting her out of kilter. Almost tripping to one side, her dexterous feet quickly recovered, and she shifted to the right just as Rick called it out.

All that testing came in handy after all. At the very least, her reflexes had been sharpened.

Inspired by that dim little light, she caught a second wind. Well, considering all the traveling she'd been doing today, however, it was probably more realistically her eighth or ninth. Regardless, she found her legs moving swifter, more easily through the prickly grass and slick mud toward the little glow.

**"**Stop!" Rick yelled after just a couple had already applied the brakes. She'd seen a reflective shimmer in the moonlight, blue and hazy. She put her hands out in front of her just in time to hit something hard. Mild electric pulses coursed through her open palms, much like the containment fields of City 04. As soon as she touched the electrostatic field, it lit up, revealing a web of blue beams the same color and design as a Hard Light Bridge, forming a dome with the little yellow light at its center. She pressed her hands into the field, and the buzz of electricity grew in intensity.

Locked out.

She saw it clearly now; a tiny sconce pinned to the side of the small shed, its glow flickering as though the light bulb itself was on the verge of death. She recognized the metal door, its faded yellow signs warning intruders of electric shocks and other horrible deterrent methods. Now she realized that door had closed to her forever, slammed shut without any intention of reopening. Pounding a fist against the field, she gave an aggravated cry.

Suddenly remembering the field frequency bracelet, she reached for her satchel, pulling at the latch. As if anticipating her actions, Orion piped up.

**"**No! It's a different f-f-frequency! W-won't work!"

**"**Keep goin', baby! They're catchin' up; you gotta run around it!"

She dashed to the side of the shield, wondering what sort of sick trick GLaDOS was trying to pull. If she knew Chell was coming – and the birds were a clear indicator of such knowledge – why hadn't she lowered the barrier? Did she _want _Chell to die? To bring her all this way, so close to hope, with no way to get to the sanctuary she'd long dreamed of?

That sounded about like GLaDOS, yes.

* * *

><p><strong>"<strong>_How could you have forgotten the barrier?_**"**

Her tinny voice, rife with irritation, reverberated through the small chamber. He winced, flying toward the nearest console keyboard.

**"**It's not _my _fault," he grumbled, his fingers flying over the keys. "Oh, for the love of – how many security layers did you _need _on this?"

**"**In my opinion, eight was the bare minimum. You never know what _they_'re capable of doing. Come on, hurry it up!"

A screen above the keyboard, one of many small screens showing lines and lines of green code on a black field, suddenly displayed a red, flashing notification that one security layer had been disabled. He gritted his teeth as he typed faster, knowing exactly what was on the line.

**"**You can't blame me. Last time I went topside, we didn't even _have _a restriction field."

**"**Last time _you _went topside was to _install _the field. Honestly, you're getting senile."

He rolled his eyes, leaning over the keyboard to focus. "Just...let me do this. I _could_use an extra pair of hands, but since you're too stubborn-"

**"**I'm not going to tell you again. I will _never _allow myself to be put in a humanoid body. The mere thought makes me wish I was incapable of simulating nausea."

Another flashing screen. Another bit of the shield down. He was about to grumble about how she should've just password-protected the thing when the blare of alarms scattered his thoughts.

**"**Oh, God, no," he gasped, fingers suddenly flying faster across the keys. One of the three screens previously showing the birds'-eye view of the fields switched to a view from the camera perched on the shed's door. The glowing blue eyes of Overwatch soldiers stared back, bobbing in the dark as the troops advanced.

**"**Only ten?" GLaDOS chuckled, and a screen to her side indicated that external turrets were being activated. "We'll take them down in -"

**"**No!" His fingers slammed on the keys, deactivating the turrets' command. She swooped to face him.

**"**What do you think you're doing?"

Jaw set, he turned to her with a look of ferocious determination on his face. "The turrets don't know the difference between them and her. If they shoot her – GLaDOS, I swear, if they _shoot _her, I _will _kill you – or do my damnedest to try."

She recoiled slightly, somewhat impressed by his bravado. Of course, he wouldn't be able to lay a finger on her before she ended him – they both knew this – and the threat itself was almost enough to send her into a neurotoxin-emitting frenzy. She knew better, though. Quite honestly, she knew she couldn't fight off the Combine without his help. He had immunity, for now.

Still, she couldn't resist telling him exactly how wrong he was.

**"**For your information, they _do _know the difference. I've got her genetic code integrated into all of them. In fact, when she left here -"

GLaDOS stopped. No, there was absolutely no need to tell _him _of the musical gift she'd delivered to Chell on her departure.

**"**The codes," she snapped instead, reactivating the turrets. "Get that shield down, _now_."

* * *

><p>Chell's heart froze as a loud mechanical whirr came from inside the field. A large metal port opened from the ground, and from it emerged a round, green-eyed sphere connected to a hinge. A panel to the side opened, and the green optic switched to yellow as it emitted a frenzied beeping.<p>

She vaguely remembered these atrocious things. The rocket turrets that she'd once used to knock the cores off of GLaDOS's chassis. Several more of them appeared across the wheat field, regular sentry turrets popping up alongside them, cheerily chiming "Target Acquired" before opening their side panels.

She tripped over her feet, quickly collecting herself before falling, watching the sentries from the cover of her eye. The nearest rocket turret beeped frantically, its optic switching red, and a small projectile launched from it, a thick stream of smoke trailing. Chell winced...

**"**Aw, yeah! Go, Big Mama!"

...and gave a surprised grunt as it landed several yards away, careening toward the Combine troops. They scattered away from the small blast, but the high-pitched squeal of a radio told Chell at least one had taken the rocket's impact.

Rick let out a hearty laugh. "You got an angel somewhere, kid!"

Chell quickly put distance between herself and the soldiers as they struggled to recover. They began to fire again, shots clumsily missing her feet by miles. Still, it wouldn't do to skirt around the border of the field. She couldn't weave around, and eventually running in a straight line would end in disaster. Another rocket hit, bathing the soldiers in smoke, and Chell had an idea.

She looped back, running in a wide arc around her pursuers. They stood in place, firing uselessly at the spaces she used to occupy, and another rocket blast made short work of one of them before they had the idea to start running.

Finally, she ended up in front of the shed again. All of the turrets aimed for the Combine now, and Chell smirked as they got a taste of their own medicine. Turrets, however, were not as particular about _where _they shot. Two more radios screeched painfully as the bodies hit the ground.

The barrier suddenly fizzled out with a sharp crackle.

**"**Io!" Orion chirped.

**"**_Now, baby!_**" **Rick screamed. "_Go for home plate! Go! Go! Go!_**"**

She tore past the barrier's edge as a rocket zoomed past her, her breath catching in her throat and a painful stitch at her side. The barrier popped back up almost instantly when she'd passed a few turrets, blocking the Combine from pursuit. It did nothing to stop their bullets, however, and Chell kept dancing along, dodging and swerving at Rick's command.

Jumping away, she yelped as a turret next to her suddenly exploded. Pulse round fire focused on another one nearby, and it soon burst into a fiery blaze. They were on the defensive now.

Chell made a beeline for the shed, high wheat brushing her knees.

She was almost there. A confident grin flashed on her face. Almost home.

GLaDOS, turrets, cubes...she'd even test. She didn't care any more.

She was almost there.

'Man makes plans, and God laughs.'

Chell was in the midst of that thought when the first pulse round entered her upper thigh. As if the world slowed its turn and time itself gave a malicious pause, she felt every inch, every centimeter of the round as it bore through her flesh and muscle.

'Sucker's luck.'

Her only thought as the second round dug into her leg above her knee.

Have you given up?

Does it feel like a trial?

A third round entered her calf at its thickest part. Rick was yelling. Orion was calling her name. She barely heard either of them.

The shed in front of her – so close to her – blurred and shifted to the side as the final round struck the outside edge of her calf. The pulse itself grazed her skin, but the resonance shockwave blasted a large chunk of flesh away.

Disappearing as she fell into the ocean of dying wheat, she felt no pain.

Only vicious disappointment.

* * *

><p><strong>"<strong>Camera five!" GLaDOS cried, thrusting her body so fervently toward the screens that her base clattered resentfully. "Switch cameras! _Find_her!"

**"**Camera five's gone. Blown up. Camera three is – augh!"

Camera three's view turned to static as soon as he pulled it up. Systems indicated that eight turrets – three rocket and five standard – were all that remained. Not a single one held a camera close enough to the area where she'd fallen. Even the camera mounted to the shed had been blown off. The only view of her was from a turret some distance off, and that screen only showed the thick, black, moldy wheat. This scene was stuck on the monitor before GLaDOS's swaying body, her optic glued to it as though looking away meant certain death for the former test subject.

**"**Get _up_," she growled.

He looked at her, body swinging anxiously while her head remained still. Frowning, he glanced at the monitor, studying the wheat stalks for any sign of movement. Several tense moments passed, and not a single stalk moved out of place.

**"**Get _up_," she uttered again, her voice less angry and more pleading, rising in nervous pitch.

**"**GLaDOS," he whispered.

**"**No. She's _alive_. She _doesn't die_. I know; I've tried fruitlessly on several occasions to end her life. Now, get _**up**_, you stubborn meatsack..."

He bit his lip, looking again at the screen with the motionless wheat. "GLaDOS, she's..."

GLaDOS roared, rocking faster side-to-side, her voice furiously desperate. "Shut up. _Shut up_! You're the outlier! You're not supposed to die! Now_get up_!"

**"**_GLaDOS, she's not going to get up!_**"**

He'd always considered himself a logical man, one capable of holding back his emotions in favor of an informed decision. That Chell had been shot – that she was dead or as good as such – was a heartwrenchingly indisputable fact. He wished he could deny it, claim it all an illusion and simply trust that she'd magically appear in the elevator.

Evidence, paired with brutish, horrible logic, forced him to believe otherwise.

The spray of blood.

Her fall.

The still wheat.

The supercomputer, being a machine built upon logic, could readily analyze her situation just as well as he could. But sometimes she didn't. Sometimes, her emotions – emotions that any other computer wouldn't even have – took charge.

As she turned to face him, he immediately knew which was in control.

The inset of her optic stuck out from the faceplate, splitting into three separate pieces. The lone optic, like an eyeball on a stalk, bobbed madly, showing only a tiny speck of light in a black void. It froze him, pinned him into place, filled him with a fear he'd assumed had long ago vanished.

He didn't see her claw until it slammed into him, knocking him into the wall and embedding itself in the panel, trapping himagainst it. She leaned down, optic boring into him as though it was shredding into his soul. Bits and shards from around her head popped out, whirring and spinning uselessly as they hung on small rods. Along her body, pieces shifted and moved, giving her whole chassis the appearance of an angry cat, fur riled, ready for a tooth-and-claw battle.

The entirety of her body moved in on him, and he found himself truly trembling for the first time in years. Granted, her chassis had taken extensive damage and did not resemble the flawless, white construct he'd known years ago, but he had never recalled seeing her so unspeakably enraged.

He backed against the wall, the pinning claw offering only a small bit of breathing room. Her faceplate was inches from his face. The yellow speck in her optic blazed fiercely, accusingly, as though he were responsible for more than his words.

His mouth opened to speak her name, perhaps to pull her out of her maddened delusion, but the fear gripped his throat, putting his heart there in place of a voice.

The cheerful chime of a bell rang through the air. GLaDOS's dilated optic suddenly widened, her madness quickly forgotten. His eyes widened, too, as the sound's meaning tore through his brain, planting new seeds of hope. He gasped.

**"**The elevator!"


	15. The Stray

He'd spent years worrying about her. Endless, lightless nights and days, hoping and praying thatshe would be his salvation, and after that,hoping she would merely be alive when somebodyopened Schrodinger's box. Dreams of her life and death had plagued him as he'd slept in that tight, cramped coffin, buried under the rubble and shattered hope like some lost vampire, his sleep eternal until he himself had been awoken by GLaDOS.

And even then, he'd worried.

It had always been a mild worry, just a hope that she was healthy and alive and really nothing more. Now, there was an urgency to his anxiety, a buzzing that plagued his mind like a swarm of wasps. He saw the blood, knew she was wounded. He'd worked so hard to keep her alive; it seemed a failure of his entire life to let her die now.

The paths rose to meet him, panels shifting back and forth, clearing a way directly to GLaDOS's old chamber. She was helping; she, too, was concerned. In no time, he was there – the long walkway leading to that opened door, evidenced by an old, half-rusted sign that read "WARNING – Wear Your Respirator".

GLaDOS was nothing if not nostalgic.

The smell of wheat and rain hung thickly in the air. Bursting through the chamber, he ran to the far side where the elevator sat. Hanging halfway out of the elevator's opened doors, she lay sprawled like an injured cat, lifelessly still. At his approach, the room filled with high- and low-pitched chatter, though initially he wasn't sure from where the voices came.

His breath suddenly caught in his throat.

Panicked, his lungs simultaneously demanded and rejected air, making his chest heave and convulse. His eyes opened wide, and the pupil that could shrunk to a mere pinprick.

Rage, hot and thick and bright as lava, spilled from her abdomen, rolling onto the floor and burning into it. Waves of heat and ashes curled around her, one hand lazed on her thigh as though even she avoided touching the stuff. It melted through the thick tiles, pouring down into the chamber below, oozing out in dense breaths. From her face poured Judgment, blue as Repulsion Gel and just as thick, curling down from the empty holes of her eyes, from her nostrils, lolling from her mouth like honey. Thin strings of it dripped from her ears, pooling with the rest of it on the floor and producing toxic-green smoke plumes where it touched Rage.

That he could put labels to these things should have been a good sign, a sign he recognized his psychosis and had the ability to control it. But the attack from earlier still had a grip on his mind, and mixed with the worry and excitement of her arrival, he could do nothing else but give in to it.

Through the speakers, GLaDOS spoke, and her words became a hot-white arrow, striking the back of his head, the tip jutting from his forehead. His body lurched as it hit, and he staggered. She spoke his name again, trying to get his attention, sending arrows flying across the room and through the solid metal walls.

The numbers began now, flying from the open wound on her abdomen; the equations of her anger. They spun around the room, caught in a whirlwind, striking at him as they blew past. He watched them swirl like autumn leaves around the large dome, distracted until another white-hot arrow stuck in at his neck, this one more painful than the other. He grunted, reeling back, looking away from Chell for only a moment before turning to her again.

**"**H-huh?"

Part of the Rage/Judgment mixture had dissipated. He could clearly see that there was no hole burned into the floor, that no wound existed on Chell's stomach. Reaching up, he pulled the Aperture Science Cordless Electric Needle Injector Self-Injected Lithium Intake Syringe from his neck with a grunt and tossed it to the side. Within a few blinks and a couple shakes of his head, everything had reverted to normal, and he was able to see Chell how she really was.

Which was not good.

She glared at him, curled up like a wounded animal. Her face showed no sign of recognition of him, and internally he gave a sigh of relief. Her leg was, in a word, mangled, and blood, thick, and blackish, was pooling around the bottom of the elevator. Around her wrist, she'd tied a coreplate, and another was slung around her neck, lying partially on the ground. These, he guessed, must be Alpha and Beta, in some order.

**"**Hey, Lab Coat!" barked the green optic around her neck, "you gonna do somethin', or you just gonna stand there lettin' her die? Get movin'!"

The other core was merely a tiny yellow speck, dancing fervently across the field of its optic, chanting lividly. "Io Io Io Io Io!"

A clanking sound at the entryway drew his attention, and Atlas and P-Body soon appeared.

**"**Thank God," he breathed. It would be impossible to carry Chell himself, especially with the aching in his leg. "P-Body, get her to the infirmary!"

* * *

><p><strong>"<strong>...patched her up quite nicely, but _mercy_, you should see her."

Chell's vision slowly returned from the precipice of darkness. A typical paneled office ceiling swam into focus, adorned with thankfully dim fluorescent lights. A surgery lamp, switched off, dangled over her head, looking like a menacing eye in her half-dizzied mind. She groaned, shifted, noticing a strong but numb surge run through her left leg. Looking down, she saw her entire leg wrapped in gauze and white bandages. The left leg of her trousers had been cut from the upper thigh, fairly high up, nearly to an uncomfortable point.

With a gasp, she sat up, and Rick, who was still dangling around her neck, fell optic-down into her lap.

**"**Welcome back to the world of the livin', darlin'," he mumbled from her thigh.

Blushing, she scooped him back up. The black optic tied on her left wrist sparked to life, and Orion immediately gave a half-lidded look of joy. "Io! You're alive!"

From the other side of the room, half-hidden behind a wall partition, sat a man, chin resting on his folded hands, staring at something in front of him. At the noise of the cores, he started, looking over and rising from his chair. His attention turned briefly to the object hidden by the wall.

**"**She's up. We'll talk later."

Chell tensed, recognizing him as the man who'd come to the elevator, and immediately began sizing him up. He wasn't very tall – perhaps a hair taller than she – with thick black hair sprinkled with gray. A goatee and a neatly-trimmed line of beard along his jaw were as peppered as his hair. Lines of worry and stress painted his face, and at first Chell thought one of his eyes was darker than the other. He approached, noticeably limping on his left leg, bracing himself against a counter for support, and smiled warmly.

She gave a huff through her nose, tucking her arms up to her midsection defensively. She knew perfectly well that there were no more humans at Aperture, and unless this guy was a robot, he'd probably come in from outside. And he certainly didn't _look _like a scientist, wearing a blood-stained blue sweater and filthy khakis. GLaDOS would never have let just _any_one inside. Which meant, to Chell, that something had happened to GLaDOS. That GLaDOS hadn't been in the Central AI Chamber had been worrisome, and now this stranger...

**"**It's okay," he said, raising up his hands defensively. His voice was gravelly, as though years of disuse – or misuse – had not been kind to him. She shifted away from him, and he stopped his approach.

**"**Do you know where you are?" he said carefully, still maintaining his warm smile.

Chell nodded.

**"**Do you know _who _you are?"

Again, Chell nodded.

His cheek twitched a little, and though he still wore the smile, there was an air of discomfort about it, as though there mere thought of the next question made him ill. "Do you know who _I _am?"

She shook her head. Immediately the discomfort vanished, an internal sigh of relief.

**"**All right. Well, my name's Doug Rattmann. Funny name, I know; don't laugh. You can just call me 'Doug'. I used to be – well, I suppose I still _am_** – **a scientist at Aperture. During the...the neurotoxin _incident_, I hid in one of the cryo chambers, and just recently I was pulled out of it by GLaDOS."

**"**I don't trust this guy, babe," Rick muttered. "After all, he _was _tryin' t'cut yer pants off."

**"**Entirely necessary, unless you'd have wanted her to bleed to death." His eyebrow twitched, glaring at the offending core.

**"**L-lab rat!" Orion suddenly chimed, giving a happy jitter and opening his optic fully.

The scientist's harsh scowl switched to a smile. "Ah, the hacker core! I remember you, little guy! It seems you remember me, too!" He chuckled, the smile fading again as he looked to Rick. "I hardly remember this other one, aside from our brief conversation prior to your re-entry. You must be Beta."

**"**Rick," the core snared in correction, "an' I'm an _Adventure Sphere_."

**"**Yes, I do remember a bit about you. I wasn't there at your creation, but the _stories_..." He shook his head as if chasing away the thought. His eyes fixed on Chell, and only then did she notice that his left pupil seemed disproportionately wider than the other. "But what am _I _going on about? You need to rest. That leg took some damage, and I can only repair so much without having you go into Relaxation."

His left hand motioned to a bed on the far side of the room. It took Chell a moment to realize what he was suggesting. Her eyes shot wide at the remembrance of waking up from the Relaxation Vault to meet an empty room, a toilet, a radio, and then a voice...

With a huff, she dodged back, giving him a death-glare and shaking her head ardently. There was no way she was letting herself get tricked into that again. If he thought she was going to test, he had another thing coming.

Ignoring his confused expression, she held up her left hand, flattening it palm-up. She mimicked writing on it with her other hand. A spark of realization hit him, and he grabbed a nearby clipboard and pen. She took it from him, still glaring, and scribbled something on the page.

**"**GLaDOS?" he read when she handed it back. "What about her?"

With a slight, gurgling growl, Chell snatched the clipboard back. He gasped in surprise, jumping back a bit, amusing Chell. He might be older and perhaps – _perhaps_** – **smarter than she was, but he could still be intimidated. That would be a plus if he tried to trick her into testing again.

She offered the clipboard back after scribbling a bit more. He scratched the back of his head, ruffling his black hair, and chuckled lowly.

**"**We'll go to see her, yes. In time. But right now you have serious injuries that could – ah!"

Once more the paper was wrenched from his hands. The pen marked furiously on the sheet, tearing into it, forming letters more from pressure than ink. She shoved the board into his chest, and he fell back a few steps. His strange eyes looked almost hurt as he read her addendum.

**"**I'll...one second."

If he hadn't been pale already, he would've turned paper-white. Quickly, he limped back to the little corner where he'd been sitting. Chell could barely hear him whispering.

**"**...wants to come _right now_...didn't know she'd be so difficult... Up to you, really. I can't..."

GLaDOS's voice suddenly came through, strong and clear, erasing all doubt that the voice from the empty chamber had been naught but an illusion and bringing more than a hint of a smile to Chell's face:

**"**I told you she was stubborn."

**"**That makes two of you, then," he snorted.

Chell's eyes widened. Had he...just talked back to GLaDOS? And he was _still alive_?

**"**Regardless, you'd better bring her here. I doubt you'll get any cooperation unless you do."

Nothing in her response sounded angry or even annoyed. Did she know this guy? Who _was _he, to be able to speak so brashly to her?

He opened his mouth to respond, crossing his arms over his chest, then gave a quiet groan and quickly brushed the back of his head with an open palm. Shaking his head, he leaned over and held down a button.

**"**P-Body, come to the infirmary, please."

Before he could cross the room again, the oblong robot had entered – with its blue-eyed companion in tow. The scientist shook his head. "No, no, Atlas, you didn't need to...ugh, well, as long as you're here..."

His warm smile returned as he shifted his attention to Chell, and instinctively she curled up a little. His smile was meant for kindness, but it set off all sorts of alarms in her brain. Anyone who'd ever smiled like that in City 04 had certainly lacked any sort of altruism whatsoever and generally ended up a turncoat. And why should he be any different? After all, Chell had never seen him, didn't remember him. Even if GLaDOS _was _here, there was still no guarantee of her benevolence. This might be just another trap.

**"**You'll have to leave those cores here," he said gently. "GLaDOS might not appreciate their company."

**"**Hey, not on your life, pal!" Rick spat, shivering a little. The corner of Chell's mouth twitched, and she brought her left wrist up to gauge Orion's reaction.

The little yellow orb looked at her, trembling happily. "Polaris! North Star!" He giggled, his optic's focus switching from the scientist and back. "L-lab Rat is North Star!"

Sighing, ignoring Rick's instant protests, Chell began to unwrap the core's wires from her sleeve. Orion trusted him and said, in his own way, that she could safely follow him, and frankly, that was good enough for her. Once both cores were removed and delicately placed on the firm hospital pillow, Chell glared heatedly at the scientist, ensnaring him within the bonds of his own nervousness and forcing him back a few steps.

Sliding uneasily off of the medical bed and then using it to brace herself, Chell steadied on her one good leg. P-Body immediately stepped beside her, offering its arm. Chell gave the robot a distrustful glare, which was completely ignored in lieu of the automaton's tactful obedience. P-Body's lower optic shield raised, giving her the same happy and welcome expression as Orion often did.

The resemblance to her companion core was the only reason she allowed P-Body's wiry, mechanical arms to lift her off the ground.

* * *

><p>GLaDOS's new chamber was vastly smaller than her previous residence. GLaDOS herself barely fit inside the room and was certainly the centerpiece of it. The earlier and justified position of the AI hanging high on the ceiling, unable to reach and crush the scientists, had been eliminated, and she was now able to stretch herself nearly to the floor if she wanted. Currently she hovered, a familiar white cobra in a smaller basket, optic shimmering brightly and focused on the humans as Chell limped in.<p>

It had been planned far in advance, that gentle but firm barb GLaDOS had prepared. Just a harmless joke, a little insult between friends. Like old times. But then Chell had walked into the room.

GLaDOS froze completely upon seeing her. How long had she been gone? Only a few months, at the most. But how she had changed! Her dark hair had once again been sparked with shades of gray at her temples and forehead, like harsh bolts of lightning in the night sky. Her eyes, once steeled and gray and shining, were now as dull as tin, darkened around the edges by stress and fear and sleepless nights. Her skin was pale, jaundiced, sallow, cheeks sunken in. Her shoulders no longer carried the outlier's pride; instead she slumped, whether with her current pain or old exhaustion or a hearty mixture of both. The disgusting blue outfit, a shocking reminder, at least to GLaDOS, that she no longer belonged to Aperture, was torn and patched and decrepit, and it hung off of her now-fragile frame.

Thin. She was so very, very _thin_. A shudder coursed through the AI's frame as she realized Chell was probably more corpse than living being.

The Combine...what had they _done _to her!

And then, as the playful insult was about to be loosed, something within GLaDOS snapped.

Technically, in a word, GLaDOS glitched. Her Insult Processing Generator had been violently interrupted with some horrible flash of what GLaDOS could only identify, in retrospect, as savage anger intermingled with severe pity. Control over her voice panels ceased, and what she vocalized was nowhere near what her prepared and innocuous barb had been.

**"**What is this?"

Behind Chell, Doug fumbled for words.

**"**Honestly. I _thought _we were taking in a diabolical lunatic. Does this _look _like a lunatic to you? This isn't her. _This is not Chell. _She's better than this. Stronger. _Fatter,_certainly. _She _would never have been shot. _She _was a chubby, deranged, psychopath who never gave up. This _thing _looks like _it _stopped living half a century ago. I didn't know you were in the habit of bringing me mummified _corpses_."

**"**GLaDOS," Doug started, his voice sad but with a hint of angry warning.

**"**_Take it away_!" she snapped, optic widening as she realized she'd gone completely out of control. The words continued to flow from her, unstoppable and unbearable. She only hoped her darting optic was enough clue that her words were not her own. "This thin, miserable, sickly skeleton! It's not her! Get rid of it! Take it out of this facility and leave it for the crows! Better yet, drag it off to the woods and _let the Combine take it back!_**"**

Eyes shooting wide, Chell let out a strange, strangled cry, wrenching free from P-Body's grip. GLaDOS jerked back, finally struggling free of the glitch, staring into Chell's haunted eyes. She didn't have to imagine the implications of what she'd said. She'd seen them, the tortured souls of the Combine's wrath, starved in the streets or beaten to death or simply beaten and then left to die. At first she had excused her pity as seeing a "waste of good test subjects," but she could not deny the harsh disruption in her thought processors whenever she'd come across such a case.

They had then come for her and for Doug, and she'd fought them off. He may have been an old enemy, but even he was undeserving of such treatment. Not to mention the secrets he bore would have essentially spelled the end for humankind.

And now she had just ordered Chell to return to those destructive arms.

With another cry, this one of anger, Chell launched herself toward the chassis, completely unmindful of her current physical state. Doug reached for her, too distant to grasp her before she tore away. As Chell's wounded leg failed from underneath her, the former test subject flailed, her face switching to extreme pain and fear as she began to fall.

**"**No!" cried GLaDOS, swooping down and forward, unsure of what, exactly, could come of her actions but compelled, _driven _to move, to do _something_.

Her optic shut off. She couldn't bear to look –

A gentle weight fell against her chassis and remained there.

The first thing GLaDOS noticed, once her optic came back online, was the spreading blossom of red coming from Chell's gauze-coated leg. The fall had been too much; her wounds had reopened. There was a violent sting in her emotive processors, a strange and grim reminder that Chell could indeed die, despite everything GLaDOS had ever tried to do or prevented others from doing. For a brief moment she stared at the spreading blood, feeling as though Chell was merely another robot whose batteries were quickly draining...

No, there was no sense likening her condition to that. Batteries could be replaced. Blood was another matter entirely.

The next thing she noticed, shifting her optic upwards, was the uneven trembling of the torn and filthy jumpsuit as Chell's chest heaved and shuddered. GLaDOS had never considered herself an expert at deducing human emotions – a waste of time, really – but Chell's tight grip on the side of her faceplate and the discernible hot, wet trail streaking down the side of GLaDOS's chassis told her everything she needed to know about the human's emotional state.

Emotions were useless, distracting, primitive. They were not science.

Yet GLaDOS did not even wonder _why _she was feeling them.

**"**I didn't mean to say that," she said, her voice uncommonly gentle and soft, using her local speakers so that only Chell could hear her. No sense in letting that smarmy scientist have something else to tease her with. "I didn't mean it. Not a word."

After a moment, Chell's trembling stopped. She let out the quietest of sniffles and raised up, her face hardened and firm as though she'd never shed a tear in her life. She hobbled backwards, and P-Body stepped up, grabbing her arm to stabilize her.

**"**We can trust him," GLaDOS said, nosing her head in Doug's direction. "In fact, I dare say he's invaluable. Let him do whatever he needs to do. You're safe here, even from me." She chuckled lowly, swinging her head playfully back and forth.

Chell hesitated a moment before nodding. Glancing down at P-Body's optic, she gave an appreciative grin. The robot's other arm hefted her under her knees, picking her up and turning to leave.

GLaDOS tilted her head at them before speaking again.

**"**Doug? One moment, please."

The scientist turned, giving a last ushering gesture to the robots as they carried the wounded Chell back to the infirmary. The door slid shut behind them, and both the scientist and the supercomputer sat quietly before an electronic sigh filled the room.

**"**You were right," she admitted quietly.

Somehow, this is one success he didn't feel like celebrating. "Right? About what? If it's because of what you said, I'm sure she-"

**"**No, not that." She turned away from him, staring down at the floor. "It's so odd, Doug. I wanted to _catch _her."

He scratched his bearded jaw. "Strange. From what I saw, you did."

**"**I did," she agreed, "but not in the way I wanted."

* * *

><p><strong>(Author:) <strong>;A; Gladdy. You should've taken his offer on that android body...

I'm really sorry this chapter's so late! I've been down with wrist injuries and moving and the love of my life stealing all my focus and distracting me...

...-wistful sigh...-

wait, what was i saying? Oh. Yes, but have all these feels. Extra-long chapter to make up for it. ~3

Edit: ALSO! HoHW has its own tumblr now... portalhellorhighwater dawt tumblr dawt com. Come and visit or follow or send me weird asks and stuff! True, there's not a lot going on there now, but it's really, really new...


	16. The Time

He sat in the small room that served as his private office, staring at his desk. The pen in his hand meticulously worked measured circles onto the paper he'd recovered, drawing nothing at all in particular.

She didn't know him.

She didn't know he had been the one to do it. The one who hadheld her inside the building. The one who had bumped her up to the prestigious position of being the first. The one who had committed the atrocious crime of making her the sacrificial lamb.

But what would happen if – when – if – she found out? Her brutal scowl had already been enough to break his heart, though he'd hidden the emotions behind a polite smile. At first he feared she'd remembered, but he'd come to realize the look on her face had been defensiveness, not recognition.

How like an animal she'd looked! And how calm she'd become upon the mention of GLaDOS...

Perhaps it would have been better if it were just her and GLaDOS together. He smiled, pained yet comforted by the thought. The plan could still go into action without his involvement, and Chell would never find out the horrible truth behind his actions...

No, it wasn't possible. He was by no means suicidal, and he knew he could not survive outside of the facility. Going into cryo was indeed an option but not one that he would seriously consider. He would just have to hold his tongue as best ashe could and keep his secrets inside, where they belonged.

His story to her, of course, had been a lie. He had been awake and alive all throughout GLaDOS's terrorizing of the facility. Watching his coworkers, friends, and associates die, one by one, until he was the only one left, was a crime for which he had forgiven GLaDOS, in the basic and most primal sense of forgiveness. He had accepted that, although her actions had affected and were still affecting the present, there was nothing now that he could do to change what had happened in the past. He did not condone her behavior – far from it – but there was nothing more to be gained from being angry or malicious toward her.

He could not, however, forgive himself.

Together he and GLaDOS had spearheaded quite a partnership, and although it was barely enough to keep the facility safe, they had been able to keep from fighting long enough to concoct and hopefully execute their elaborate plan.

The plan. Doug's face twitched into a scowl. It wasn't a well-thought or thorough plan. Like everything else, it seemed good _enough_. He'd spent many nights lying awake, worrying whether it would succeed or fail, and now Chell on top of everything else. His head sunk into his hands, and he sighed.

_We'll be okay_.**  
><strong>**  
><strong>Mismatched eyes peeked up from between his fingers. He raised his head, a warm smile once again spreading like sunlight from behind a cloud. He reached out, touching the cold, gray steel.

**"**I know," he said quietly. "I know."

* * *

><p>Chell's release had been for the girl's own good. Only science lay within the walls of Aperture: innovative, risky, and deadly. There was no such thing as a safe distance from GLaDOS, no comfort or hiding from her eyes and claws and turrets. Doug had tried, and for that he'd paid with the loss of his mind. Chell didn't deserve that. She was crazy enough as it was.<p>

So GLaDOS had let her go.

But when she released that little psycho into the wild, she hadn't anticipated what laybeyond the fields of wheat. She knew there were other humans – there _had _to be – but she had not known the extent to which the Combine had controlled them, or even that the Combine were still a present force. She knew they'd come, years ago, but humans were just so good at _murdering _things that she'd expected them to win out.

A light scoff floated through the silent air as she realized she'd actually _hoped _for humanity.

Now, however, she was having second thoughts about her actions. Sending Chell out into that world had been the _worst _thing she could've done. Even killing Chell would've been less treacherous, though it would've had an equally significant impact on their budding friendship.

Yes, their friendship. They _were _friends, always _had been _friends. The emotions had resurfaced not long after Chell had speared the little potato onto her gun, but the concept had completely cemented itself via her more recent line of conversations with Doug.

It had been these debates, in-depth discussions on science, ethics, and the strange concept of friendship, that had finally cooled GLaDOS's fury and lust for killing. Murder – though certainly the most interesting way to solve problems – was not beneficial to interpersonal relationships, alliances, and friendships, things GLaDOS had discovered she'd needed. Being left alone – well, left with the Cooperative Testing Initiative 'bots, which, on an intellectual level, certainly _felt _like being alone – had been nothing but a nightmare. She had no more voices now, no suggestions or arguments or rage, and though most of her life she'd longed to quell the insufferable personality cores, she now felt the need to break the diabolical silence that had taken their place.

_Break the silence with a mute? Better be careful. We'll crash ourselves with paradoxes like that._

Perhaps break the _monotony _was a more accurate term.

She knew there was no way Chell could be allowed to stay, however. She was too close, too dear to GLaDOS, and after the initial threat of the Combine had passed, GLaDOS would again see Chell as a threat, another betta in the tank, and the cycle would begin again. Even having Doug around was nearly too much of a temptation to use her deadly gas, and she'd had to present very logical and researched arguments to her own mind to avoid killing him outright when he'd dissented. Perhaps he could go with Chell when she left.

Yes, a good plan. Retrieve the moron, set the initial plan into action, destroy the Combine, and then let Chell and Doug go. Only this time, take skin and hair samples when they're not looking. Clones couldn't be made from air, you know.

She swerved on her skyward pedestal, peering at a monitor that displayed the outer depths of space. No more messing around. It was time to put the plan into action.

* * *

><p>It had taken a degrading amount of bargaining and pleading to coax Chell into the Relaxation Pod. At the end of it, she'd made Doug draw up a contract that specifically claimed, under threat of his immortal soul, that she would not wake up in anything even resembling a testing chamber. Not that anyone could blame her.<p>

That was two days ago. Now, somehow miraculously healed, she stared up at the ceiling, lying on an old air mattress. Her office-turned-dormitory had fresh, clean, white walls and a nice linoleum floor with a small, somewhat salvaged rug. She still wasn't sure where GLaDOS had put all the cameras, but she couldn't complain too much. The shoddy air mattress was the most comfortable thing she'd slept on since she could remember.

Rick and Orion sat beside her, Orion strapped on her left shoulder and Rick on her right. "Champagne Supernova" played softly through Orion's speakers, and every so often Rick gave an odd grunt as though he was stretching pleasantly. Chell had an inkling that, were he human, his arm would've subtly weighed across her shoulders. Perhaps he was, in his own mind, but quite honestly Chell didn't want to dwell too much on what Rick was thinking.

Her arrival to Aperture had been, in her opinion, somewhat anticlimactic compared to her dreams, where she entered of her own accord instead of scrambling into the elevator, fearing for her life. Traversed the corridors in curiosity and silence rather than fitted into bandages and made to enter one of those dreaded pods again. Meeting GLaDOS in nothing but friendliness and solace instead of hostility and the unfamiliar, eerily grinning face of Doug Rattmann, whoever _he _was.

She scowled, draping a wrist over her forehead. No, she didn't trust him at all. His smile was too warm, too inviting. Considering the similar grins she'd seen on the backstabbers in City 04, it was a smile she had learned to distrust. Besides, there was something in the back of her mind that told her she'd seen him before, as unknown as he looked. She interpreted it as one more reason not to turn her back to him.

And GLaDOS...

She winced. GLaDOS was another matter altogether, and at the moment she had no idea _what_to think. Attacking with ferocity – that was GLaDOS's style. But the half-apology had certainly thrown Chell off, not to mention the fact that the massive robot who had wanted nothing to do with humans had swooped down and...

A light blush covered Chell's face. What did that dumb AI think she was _doing _anyway, catching her like that? Chell was perfectly capable of standing on her own two feet and _no_, she _didn't _need GLaDOS's help, no matter _how _much of a relief it was to actually be somewhere safe and no one was trying to kill her and suddenly Chell's mind was a jumble again.

Orion's song ended, immediately followed by Holst's "Mars, the Bringer of War." Inspired, Rick suddenly started humming along, filling the quiet room with the familiar off-rhythm like he was singing his own theme song.

**"**Du-du-du-dunnn duunnn dun dun dunnn du-du-du-duuunnnn..."

With a soft sigh, Chell looked to the side, where an empty metal tray held the remnants and crumbs of her meal. After her venture from stasis, the old scientist told her about the odd garden he'd rigged up somewhere in the middle of the center. Evidently there was a time where Aperture had tested on plants, and Doug had managed to recover some food-safe plants to grow them. Potatoes, especially – Aperture was basically their native soil – but other veggies, too. Old stores of food, now willingly unlocked by GLaDOS, had revealed cooking oil and powdered egg and milk, and the wheat outside had been gathered and ground into flour. With these, he'd fashioned a type of bread, and though it was dry and tasteless it was damn near the best thing Chell had consumed in weeks.

When he'd delivered that plate, there was an abject look of exhaustion on his face. It was the same look she'd seen on Rebel scouts when they'd come back from an exceptionally brutal task, and despite herself she'd pitied him a little. He hadn't forced a smile then; he'd merely asked if she was still in any pain and whether she required anything else. She hadn't.

Chell sat up, struggling a little to balance on the wobbly air mattress. Maybe she'd expected too much of him, assuming he was the same as those bastards in City 04. He _was_, after all, a former scientist, recently awoken to the post-apocalyptic chaos. He merely had the benefit of knowing beforehand the terror of the Combine and the intelligence to stay within Aperture.

Even if GLaDOS _was _his 'boss.'

Awkwardly, she wiggled her way out of the air mattress (GLaDOS was probably watching and laughing) and opened her door. She should find him and apologize somehow. Get to know him better. He was a potential ally, just like GLaDOS was, and though she was pretty sure she shouldn't completely trust either of them, she could agree to give them a chance.

Before she could leave, however, a loud buzz sounded through every office and hallway. GLaDOS's voice followed shortly:

**"**Attention all living humans. Yes, all two of you. Stop whatever useless endeavors you may be pursuing and make your way to my chamber."

Chell started quickly down the hallway. The hall narrowed from a fork, and abruptly, the old scientist appeared from the adjacent passage, nearly colliding with her but jumping back at the last minute. They both froze.

**"**I know how you humans like to dawdle and waste time. Generally I'd be encouraged to speed you along in my usual manner, but seeing as I need both of you _alive_..."

Chell let out a quiet gasp. There was a sudden look of fear in his eyes, as if he'd seen her in a terrifying light and now saw her as a ghost. Reminding herself of her promise to respect him, she forced a gentle smile, and in an instant a sigh of relief escaped him. He relaxed, smiling gently in return, and together they continued to GLaDOS's chamber.

**"**...I would deeply appreciate it if you could just get here in a decent time period. Say, _immediately._**"**

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: Okay, to be fair, yes, this is filler. But there are some important elements here that are very crucial to the story! And sorry for all the angst, but there won't be a lot more in the story. One or two more bits, but mostly ADVENTURRRRRRRRRE!<strong>

**Um, also, the updates are gonna come a little bit slower, and i'm sorry for the already-delayed delay. If you guys recall my wrist injury? Well, i was diagnosed with RA, rheumatoid arthritis. I'm only 28, guys. And some days i'm okay, and i'll use that time to write because i wanna give you all a good story, but there are some times where i can't do so much. So i ask you guys to be patient, okay? X3 thanks 3**


	17. The Plan

"Once again, we are in a position of the utmost delicacy, so your expeditious attendance would be _quite _appreciated. In layman's terms – and this would be for you, Chell – _hurry it up_!"

Chell groaned, rolling her eyes, glancing to the side at an equally embarrassed Doug. Her eye was not on the man, however, but the Weighted Companion Cube strapped to his back. It seemed smaller than her Companion Cube, about a foot squared whereas hers had measured more than a foot and a half, and it bounced unseemly as he walked. It was odd, but as Chell stared at it, she got a feeling that it was looking back at her. She shuddered a bit, sighed, and quickened her pace.

She never took the whole "companion" part of the Companion Cube that seriously. But perhaps there _were _some who just couldn't bear to send their cube down into the incinerator.

Soon they both arrived at the Central AI Chamber. The door slid open, and within, their 'boss' swirled around on her platform to greet them. Chell felt an awful shiver peel down her spine. It wasn't the same GLaDOS who had tried to kill her; she knew that. But it didn't quiet her heart to see the familiar flashing yellow of her optic and the strange, curved white carapace.

Another tremble spread across her body, but this one had a true source: looking down, she saw that she'd forgotten to remove Orion and Rick before leaving. They were both pinspecked at the optics, quiet and frightened.

GLaDOS raised her head a little as a soft, tinny tune chirped through the chamber. It was somehow familiar but not recently so, and it sounded like a music box.

GLaDOS's optic flared wide, nearly bathing the dimmed room with her light, swerving sharply upward. Chell noticed she was looking at Doug, could almost see her optic narrowing in on him like a sniper's scope.

**"**_How dare you bring that thing in here!_**"**

Doug's eyes shot open wide, and he shrugged down one shoulder, slipping off the brace that carried the undersized Companion Cube. The music box tune grew louder, and Chell realized it was coming from the cube itself.

**"**I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Doug hurried back to the chamber door, clutching the cube and half-covering it with his body as though protecting it. The music faded and eventually ceased as the cube vanished from view, and a moment later Doug returned, his face paler than moonlight.

**"**I'm sorry," he repeated. "It won't happen again; I promise."

**"**See that it doesn't," GLaDOS hissed, "or I _will _throw that thing in the Crusher."

Doug gulped hard, then noticed Chell's stare, her mouth slightly agape in disbelief. The paleness of his face was quickly replaced with an embarrassed blush, and he rubbed the back of his neck with a groan.

**"**I'll explain later," he mumbled under his breath.

**"**Oh, _good_," sighed GLaDOS, her gaze now falling on Chell and twitching between Orion at her wrist and Rick at her neck, "more nuisances. At least these two have the sense to be quiet." Twin claws, both thin and wiry with large pads on the pincers, descended from the ceiling. "Let's have them."

Chell twisted away, grunting, a scowl shaping over her face. There was no way she was letting GLaDOS have them – not until she knew what the AI was up to.

GLaDOS rolled her massive head a bit, sighing. "Really? Are you _that _committed to them? They're _cores_. They serve no higher purpose than annoying the circuits out of me and becoming a massive failure overall. I'm _just _going to extract the information from them and possibly format them afterward. That's _all_."

Chell scowled, holding the shivering optics closer. She wasn't stupid; she knew what 'formatting' meant. For a moment, both former test subject and AI held their positions.

**"**Io," squeaked Orion, breaking the silence with a particularly nervous shudder. Chell looked down at him, teeth clenched in determination. She turned back to GLaDOS, huffing quietly.

**"**_Fine. _I won't format them. I'll leave them as their nasty, old, corrupted selves. But I _do _require that information."

Chell huffed again. A simple word wasn't good enough. GLaDOS looked her up and down a bit, letting out a frustrated groan.

**"**I _promise _I won't harm their personality files. I just need the information, and I need it _now. _Unless you'd _like _the moron to float forever in space. Under normal circumstances, I'd have no issue with that, but...well, you've been outside. You know what it's like."

Chell unfastened the cores from her clothing but kept tight hold of them, slapping the wiry claws away and approaching the supercomputer with a steeled look in her eye. GLaDOS swerved, motioning with her head to an array of wide monitors, under which was a panel full of dials and buttons and blinky things that tempted pushing. Chell ignored these as a small door opened up, revealing several very specific ports.

She plugged Orion into one set and Rick into the other, noting that there were four sets altogether. Keeping tight hold of both the optics and the wires in case GLaDOS tried anything sneaky, Chell gave the AI a nod.

A diagnostic window started to run on one of the screens. Chell caught glimpses of things she would have rather not seen: images of the Combine, of the Stalkers, of Nova Prospekt, Striders, headcrabs, and many other weapons and creatures and technologies. It made her a little woozy, the flash of images as well as the painful reminders, and she had to steady herself on the console.

She didn't see GLaDOS staring at her the entire time. The information flowed, yes, and GLaDOS would be sure to look at it later. Right now, there was a harsh, stinging feeling sinking through her circuitry, something she could only identify as bitter hurt. Chell didn't trust her, even after all they'd been through. Well, not that the AI could properly _blame _her, but she _had _hoped some variety of friendship could have evolved.

_Trust,_GLaDOS marked into one of her memory banks. _A dreadful human emotion that, as of this moment, I am currently hating._

After a brief pause, Rick's files were transferred. They didn't seem to contain much about the Combine, other than what Rick had seen in the wheat field, but there were many, many images of space. Chell squinted at them, trying to see if she could make out another core with a familiar blue glow. The monitors faded to black just as she thought she saw him.

**"**Perfect," GLaDOS hummed. She looked at Doug. "I think I know where he is."**  
><strong>**  
><strong>**"**I need something a little better than speculation," Doug said, approaching the console as Chell unhooked the cores and wrapped them back around her person. "We can't just send funnels randomly into space. The Combine _can_and _will _track them. I'm surprised they haven't already."

GLaDOS seemed to think for a minute then looked toward Chell, her optic focusing on the little trembling core on her wrist. "You. Didn't you want to go back into space?"

Chell's eyes widened. Hesitantly, she looked down at the core, instantly torn by GLaDOS's query. The little core seemed to feel the same way, his beadlike optic darting nervously to and fro. Finally, he looked up at Chell, who, despite all her anxious feelings about her little friend leaving her, smiled comfortingly.

**"**Yes," he gasped, bobbing excitedly as his optic mimicked Chell's expression. "Space, yes. Wanna go back to space. Io! Space! Let me play among the stars!"

Chell gulped, feeling fairly odd as her heart broke a little. It was where he belonged, she tried to convince herself. It was where he _wanted _to be.

**"**Well. There's your pinpoint accuracy." GLaDOS whirled around again, bringing an assortment of diagnostics and schematics on the screens. "Make him into a satellite, we launch him, find our target, and initiate the plan."

**"**Speaking of," said Doug, looking nervously at Chell, "I didn't tell her the plan. I figured you'd want to be the one to do it."

**"**Indeed," GLaDOS replied flatly. "_Please_, allow me to waste more of my time, time I could be using to plan our defenses, might I add,by telling the mute lunatic our highly-complex-and-seemingly-way-too-intricate-to-say-in-five-sentences plan."

**"**I simply thought you'd want to try and patch up the remnants of your botched friendship, but it seems I'm _way _too farout of my boundaries to think such a thing." His lip curled into a sneer, his usually-gentle voice now laced with biting sarcasm. "_Please _forgive me."

She drew back as though stung, but all she said was, "You're out of line." Turning back to Chell, the AI seemed to curl up a bit before continuing. "Our plan is to get the moron back."

Chell nodded.

**"**Oh, good. I was hoping you'd piece it together. Actually, we don't need all of him. We just need a bit of programming in his pathetic excuse for a core processor. Specifically, the little bit of him engineered to make the perfectly wrong decision."

**"**It works on a random possibility scale," Doug chimed in. "Well, originally, it did. Eventually it got so wonky and parsed that he started making more bad decisions than good ones. Core corruption is based on input from the personality chip, so in a way he _chose _to make harmful choices. It will be quite interesting to see that technology again."

GLaDOS nodded before continuing. "Once we get it, I'm going to modify it into a virus and send a drone to the city to implant it in the enemy's computers."

**"**She _says_'drone' like it's some fancy thing, but it's actually the Fact Core placed in a robot's...erk..." A glare from the yellow optic made Doug cough awkwardly, and he quickly busied himself with something else.

**"**Well, I'm sure you can guess what happens next," GLaDOS finished, still glaring at Doug, and Chell nodded. Since most of the Combine were connected via computer technology, Wheatley's processor would give them the wrong commands. Chaos would ensue, and if the Combine didn't destroy _themselves_, they would certainly be easy pickings for the Resistance. "The only question is, will the virus infect _all _of their technology, or only the city?"

**"**But those insipid little cores have provided the answer for me!" GLaDOS said triumphantly. "Originally, I would have only infected the city, but that little Hacker Core conveniently provided me with an uplink to their satellite. I'll have the whole society on its knees within a week, granted that moron makes impact in one piece."

Chell bit her lip. That meant another crash, another reboot. Most of all, it meant seeing Wheatley again. Her mind instantly poured through her dreams and nightmares, and she found herself shaking her head, vehemently trying to clear her mind of the memories.

**"**I'll start right away," Doug said. "Chell, you can get more rest, if you'd like. I know you're still recuperating."

She nodded absently, then, with a huff of breath, looked keenly up at GLaDOS. The AI regarded her for a moment, then tilted her head and started, in an annoyed voice, "Something you needed?"

Chell's cheeks puffed as she grimaced, considering whether she should dare ask the question on her mind. A small, yellowed keyboard attached to a tiny, ancient monitor slid forward on a small cart, and an orange cursor blinked on the green-tinted screen. If Chell had been aware of what a word-processor was, she would've laughed at its antiquity. Instead, she swallowed hard, setting her hands on the keys, and dared to type the thought she held within.

GLaDOS jerked back suddenly, as if in surprise. Her optic darted back and forth on its track for a moment, but then she relaxed, raising herself and looking down at Chell with an expression that could only be described as 'smug.'

**"**What song?"

Chell frowned, disappointment covering her face. She typed an addendum.

**"**I have no idea what you're talking about. Honestly, do I look like the type who sings? Like I would ever prepare anything greater than a haiku for a mute psycho, much less an entire _song_."

Chell drew back, hurt. GLaDOS didn't remember the song? The song whose melody and half-remembered lyrics coaxed Chell through many a restless night, comforted her in the wake of her nightmares, and quelled her every fear? Closing her eyes, pushing back tears, Chell began to wonder if the song had ever existed at all.

**"**Go get some rest," GLaDOS continued, her tone changing to something calmer. "Evidently all that time out in the wild has caused you to become delusional."

Her face twisting in confusion, Chell started out of the chamber. In the hallway, Doug was kneeling by the Companion Cube, and he quickly, almost guiltily, jumped up as she approached. Jolted, the cube rattled a bit as it settled, and Doug winced visibly.

**"**Ch-Chell!" He scooped up the cube, placing it in the strap around his shoulders. "Did you need anything else?"

She shook her head, trying not to look at him strangely.

**"**Then, would you like to accompany me to the Engineering Wing? I'm going to start on that little guy's satellite."

He motioned to Orion, and Chell felt the blood drain from her face. She looked back into the Chamber, where GLaDOS was reviewing some blueprints on several of the monitors. She wasn't looking forward to parting with her friend, especially not so soon. They had just made it to safety, just made it to their goal. That, coupled with GLaDOS's denial of the '_cara mia_' song, left Chell a little disjointed and certainly very alone.

She shook her head, putting a hand on her stomach to indicate she wasn't feeling well.

**"**Hm. At any rate, I'll need both of those cores. There's still some information I have to extract, and while he's here, I may as well let him choose the designs."

It was Chell's turn to visibly cringe. Insult to injury.

Rick was transferred without much to-do, having shut himself off after GLaDOS had extracted his information. Orion was another matter. With a sigh, she unstrapped Orion from her wrist, frowning sadly at him. As she handed him over, his optic burst to full spark, darting from side to side in surprise.

**"**Io?" he said with uncertainty. "Io?"

She nodded confidently, her frown shifting into a steeled grimace. Still shivering, Orion's lights nodded back, and a single heartbreaking word squeaked out from him.

**"**Okay."

**"**He'll be all right. I promise." Doug gently took both cores, and once Orion realized who held him his LEDs sparkled happily.

**"**Lab Rat!"

Chell abruptly walked off. It was bad enough that he was going into space forever, but Orion was still the only entity she had considered as a _best friend_. Robots. They couldn't be trusted for anything.

Angrily wiping tears from her eyes, she stormed into her room and plopped down on the bed. This wasn't how she pictured her rescue, wasn't how she wanted her return to Aperture. Yes, she was safe, but she certainly didn't feel welcome, and she definitely didn't want to stay.

Lying back on her bed, she gulped hard, unable to restrict the tears. On top of everything else, GLaDOS had discredited the memory of the _one thing in the world _in which she'd found solace, putting not only her sanity and memory into question but GLaDOS's friendship as well.

Before another sob could choke her throat, a familiar beep sounded, making her jump.

**"**I'm going to do this for you, despite my better judgment," GLaDOS sighed through the intercom. "But I swear, if you tell anyone about this, _especially Doug_, I really _will _throw you out and never let you back in."

Chell perked, sitting up on her bed and looking for the intercom. She found it behind a small painting, noting it was merely a speaker with no camera.

**"**Also," GLaDOS continued, "that song was a _good-bye. _You weren't meant to come back. So I had to switch the lyrics up a bit. Hope you don't mind."

Chell clasped her hands over her mouth, covering a smile, as the sweet sound of the AI's operatic voice poured through the speakers:

_Cara, bella bambina mia,_**  
><strong>_Cara amica_**  
><strong>_Mio ciel._**  
><strong>_Sei tornata, la mia gioia_**  
><strong>_Lascia ch'io canti con te._

_Oh, mi dispiace, cara_**  
><strong>_Impara a perdonare_**  
><strong>_Quello che la Scienza vuole_**  
><strong>_Cara, cara mia bambina,_**  
><strong>_ah, mia Chell._

_Ah, rimani_**  
><strong>_Ah, serena_**  
><strong>_Tra le mie braccia._**  
><strong>_Rimani, cara mia._

She didn't know the lyrics or even understand what language it was, but she knew the song was for her. For her, from GLaDOS.

And that made all the difference in the world.**  
><strong>

* * *

><p>AN: ;U;<p>

BIG thanks to altairattorney/masterpassioncreed for the beautiful lyrics... You can hear her sing it (!) as well as the translation of them at HoHW's tumblr page: portalhellorhighwater dot tumblr dot com /post/24213055739/caramia

And as always HUGE thanks to PiFactory for editing!


	18. Intermission 1: Orion

"She called you 'Orion'," Doug said, chuckling quietly as he began calibrations.

Orion wiggled excitedly in the white ball that served as a replacement for his core body. "She...she did? Io? She did?"

"Yep. I saw it on one of the files she wrote us. She referred to you as 'Orion' and even said you saved her life."

"Io!" he chirped happily, rolling around. "Io Io Io!"

"Hah, well, her name isn't 'Io'. It's 'Chell'."

The half-lidded optic tilted sideways in confusion. "Ch...Ch...Chhhhhh.. Io!"

The older scientist gave a burst of a laugh, leaning back in his chair. "You poor thing. She certainly did a number on you, that's for certain. Do you even know who Io is, you silly thing?"

The core gave a gritty clearing of his throat and starting in a voice that would better suit the Fact Core.. "Io - the innermost of the Galilean Moons surrounding Jupiter, fourth-largest moon of the Solar System, containing over 400 volcanoes. It was discovered in 1610 by-"

"Ha ha ha, that's not what I meant." He whirled around in his chair, turning from the core. "Io, for whom the moon is named."

The core was silent, shivering quietly.

Doug smiled. "Io was a priestess of Hera. Zeus wanted her, and he transformed her into a white heifer to hide her from his jealous wife. The disguise didn't work, and Hera forced poor Io into exile, cursing her to be bitten by flies until she was driven insane."**  
><strong>

"Ah..." Orion's optic darted from side to side. Any other person would have assumed he wasn't paying attention, but Doug knew the 'hacker core' was studying and analyzing intently. "She traveled for years still in the form of a white cow, and finally she met Prometheus. Despite being tortured himself, Prometheus brought her comfort, telling her that she'd not only return to her human form but also that she'd be the ancestor of someone great."

There was a pensive silence, Orion's optic darting as he thought hard.

"Hercules," Doug answered.

"Ah!" Orion wriggled in excitement, giggling happily. "Io! Iooooo!"

The scientist laughed before sinking into a pensive silence. Prometheus. The curse of constant death and regeneration, every day the same torture, the same suffering. Science was a cruel Zeus, always changing shape, always breeding, producing monstrous offspring. The Prometheus that Aperture had created had been tortured accordingly, killed a million times before Hercules had broken her chains.

Hercules...Io... was it possible for them to be one and the same?**  
><strong>**  
><strong>Doug smiled and continued his work.**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: One of two short intermissions. Enjoy! X3<strong>


	19. Intermission 2: Chell

It felt as though she never had a moment to properly settle down.

"We've extracted all the information from your core friends," Doug had said two days prior. "The only brain we need to pick now is yours."

Chell had merely wrinkled her nose and promised to type up something. Who uses _that _expression nowadays anyway? Didn't he know about headcrabs?

Now, opening the door to his office, she peeked cautiously inside. Good. He was gone. Not that she didn't trust him, but, well, there were some things a person needs to do alone.

She crept in, and immediately a flash of light froze her on the spot. She gasped softly, then brightened as the light dimmed.

"Io!"

It was a significant change – a vast improvement. Instead of the disc-shaped light that only served as an eye, he had been placed in a large orb, resembling more his former core self. Large plates sat on the upper and lower parts of his optic, serving as both shields and emotive outlets. Right now, his lower plate lifted in a happy expression.

She carefully lifted him from the hooklike vice that served as his resting place. He babbled happily, rolling around and spinning. Shushing him, she sat cross-legged on the floor, sitting him in her lap.**  
><strong>

"Io," he cooed. "I m-missed you!"

She'd missed him, too. It was odd, but knowing him for only a day seemed more than enough to cement their friendship. They'd saved each other, protected each other. He had guided her when she needed it, and in exchange she had kept him out of the Combine's hands.

He was speaking differently, she noticed. Less stuttering, less space-talk. Doug must have done something to clear up his mind, un-corrupt him a little.

Which was fine.

But in a way she missed it.

She frowned, knowing there was a lot more she was going to miss. Curling around the core, she hugged him gently. He jittered a little, unsure of what was going on, but soon went very, very still.

For a while, there was silence.

_Now that she's back in the atmosphere_**  
><strong>_With drops of Jupiter in her hair, hey, hey_

Blinking, she sat back. His happy expression remained, and she cradled him in both hands as his song continued.

_She acts like summer and walks like rain_**  
><strong>_Reminds me that there's time to change, hey, hey_

He wiggled a bit, shifting his weight, and she sat him on the ground. There, he rolled around a little, like a hamster in a ball, giggling cheerfully as he wheeled around her.

Giggling also, though she made no audible sound, Chell stretched out on her back on the floor. It was cold there, although hard, and it felt nice. Orion rolled laps around her, laughing happily.

_Tell me did you sail across the sun_**  
><strong>_Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded_**  
><strong>_And that heaven is overrated _

She watched him, his laughter quieting, his core-body slowing until he came to rest right at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, his optic looking upward. For a moment – a very brief moment – she imagined that they were looking at the night sky together. A strange feeling washed over her. It took a while before she realized it was peace.

_Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star_**  
><strong>_One without a permanent scar_**  
><strong>_And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there? _

A spark of an urge appeared in her mind, slowly at first, then growing to the point where it began to buzz and nag. It was a strange urge that had not struck her in quite a long time.

She wanted to speak.

Her throat moved. Her lips and tongue all coordinated with the words. But as the air flowed through, the only sounds she produced were hollow and vapid.. She gasped, her words becoming caged birds in her throat. She couldn't tell him. She could never tell him.

"Io," he squeaked in a sigh, and somehow she was sure he knew anyway.

His music silenced after a while, giving way to the click of heels down the hall. Chell shot up, grabbing the orb and placing him gently back into the vice. He giggled, despite her shushing, and as she exited through the door opposite, she waved good-bye.

_Tomorrow, _she would have promised, if she could speak.

Doug entered just as the other door closed. With a slight frown, he looked at the core.

"Didn't I clean you yesterday? How in the world do you always get so dirty?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Part 2 of the intermission! Um...there might be more than two parts. Haha...<strong>


	20. The Sparrow

"Are you ready?" Doug said, smiling at the bright optic.

"R-ready, Doc!" Orion chirped, and an airy tune burst from his speakers, to which they both sang the lyrics:

_When the blazing sun is gone,_  
><em>When he nothing shines upon,<em>  
><em>Then you show your little light,<em>  
><em>Twinkle, twinkle, all the night.<em>

_Then the traveler in the dark,_  
><em>Thanks you for your tiny spark,<em>  
><em>He could not see which way to go,<em>  
><em>If you did not twinkle so.<em>

"Doc?" Orion interrupted, looping the tune for a moment, "am I gonna be a star in space?"

"You know what a star is. You tell me."

"N-not a real star. A star l-like the s-song."

Doug paused a moment, his soldering gun raised midway. "Yes. Yes, I suppose you will. You'll lead us to Gamma, and then we'll bring him home. You'll be our light in the darkness."

Satisfied with that answer, Orion continued:

_In the dark blue sky you keep,_  
><em>And often through my curtains peep,<em>  
><em>For you never shut your eye,<em>  
><em>'Till the sun is in the sky.<em>

_As your bright and tiny spark,_  
><em>Lights the traveler in the dark.<em>  
><em>Though I know not what you are,<em>  
><em>Twinkle, twinkle, little star.<em>

"Am I really going back? Back to space?" Orion jittered a little, giggling.

Doug looked up from his schematics, regarding the core with a pitying look. "Do you remember a time when you didn't want to go to space?"

Orion merely laughed happily, mumbling, "Space! Space, going back, back to space!"

"What's this?" Doug heard himself ask. Looking over, he saw a transparent image of himself, his mouth twisting at a strange-looking core locked into a vice.

Behind him – well, the shadow-him – was Henry, who set down a chipset he was messing with and walked to the vice. He, too, was of a ghostly shade, wavering quietly in the low light of Doug's present-day workshop.

Leaning back in his chair, Doug decided not to stop his broken mind and allowed the memory to unfold.

"New class of personality core!" Henry proclaimed proudly, setting a large hand on the sphere's casing. "Instead 'a merely making more voices in her brain, we're gonna map out her neural pathways, try t'see why she's thinkin' the way she is."

"I admit she's getting less... murderous. But still, isn't enough enough? She's at a good balance. We haven't had to hit the killswitch in weeks."

The balding scientist set his hands proudly on his hips, shaking his head. "Ain't gonna work for too long, man. She learns. She evolves. We gotta know what she's up to. An' this li'l guy's gonna do it for us!"

The ghostly yellow starburst of an optic flared to life, darting quickly around, hovering its glance at both scientists like a dragonfly. Henry grinned, stepping back to admire his work.

"Yup, lovely. Hey, Core! What's yer function?"

Though the core's optic was jittering, he spoke in a calm if not high-pitched and a bit stuttering voice. It was not the memory that stuttered; Doug remembered the quivering voice all too well. "My mission is t-to infiltrate neural pathw-ways within the Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating S-System without being det-tected by the G-Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System."

"A hacker, then," Ghost-Doug said, rubbing his chin. "Is she going to corrupt him, too?"

"Corruption's just a fluke, Doug." Henry waved passively, leaving a little swipe of gray mist in the air. "Plus, we dunno whether it's her or not. Could just be faulty programming."

"Oh yeah? Tell that to the Testing Resource Core. What's it calling itself now? Rick? And delusional and thinking it's on all types of adventures?"

Henry's face darkened. "W-well, that's different. He _was_ kinda pushy, ya know, thinkin' his tests were better than...better than _hers_."

"And didn't she 'distract' him by basically frying his mind? Making him think he's some macho adventurer and fulfilling his inborn desire to create scenarios? Now he just babbles all day about knowing taekwando or something."

"That's just a rumor," Henry growled, and from the look on his face, Doug realized he should be quiet. Too much talk about how GLaDOS was misbehaving generally led to Doug being ejected from the office. Right now, not only did his past self require Henry's special soldering gun but also needed to keep a watchful eye on anything related to the GLaDOS Project.

The spirits faded, and once again Doug found himself in the old ramshackle office, filled with nothing but cobwebs and memories of the dear departed. The lively core's optic still glittered in front of him, babbling quietly about the nearest nebulae.

Doug chuckled, picking up his soldering gun. It really _was _the best one, even decades after its owner was dead and gone.

"Let's get back to work, shall we?"

* * *

><p>"Quite the job," GLaDOS said via intercom as seven of her cameras viewed the little explorer. "I'm actually impressed."<p>

Doug was still scowling. Three cameras would have been more than enough. The other four were there to taunt him. He just _knew _it.

He had to admit she was right, however. The satellite was little more than four feet wide and two feet tall, Aperture-white, hosting wide solar panels on either side, though the core himself could probably last forty or fifty more years on his battery alone. The Aperture logo was, as usual, placed on every single piece, clearly identifying to whom the satellite belonged. In retrospect, with the Combine able to travel out of the atmosphere, this probably wasn't the best idea.

Orion's optic had been placed in another core-like sphere, which was able to shift and blink and roll and do all the nice core things that Orion was used to doing, although it was quite a shame that there would be no one around to see it. The form of this sphere was based on GLaDOS's final cores, the ones intended to quell her behavior permanently. It was odd, seeing the bright LEDs of the old core stuck in a white core's body rather than the smooth, gradient colors, but it was somehow nostalgic too.

The whole thing was stuck inside of a giant, circular room, over half of it containing a large window through which researchers could monitor from the outside. In its earlier days, the same room had been a test area for dangerous goods, but today it served a different if not more noble purpose. Orion was seated comfortably in the middle of a white, portal-holding floor, and a large prototype of an ASHPD was adhered to the ceiling.

It had taken a good week of hard work, including the GLaDOS-assisted reconstruction of the launch chamber, but it was over and the results did indeed look great.

Doug was still inputting some information on a computer outside of the encapsulated satellite when Chell walked in.

"I thank you greatly for your input," he said, not looking up as he continued typing. "If it hadn't been for your report, we'd never know as much as we do."

It was his first time seeing her in four days, since he'd first requested the report. She'd told him everything – her arrival at City 04, the way the Combine had processed her, the escape, the threat of Nova Prospekt. All of it, save for her nightmares. Those were her burdens and hers alone.

Walking past him, she sighed against the glass, frowning at her friend within it. Her fingers twitched nervously against her crossed arms, and Doug could see her chewing her lip in her reflection.

"Do you want to say good-bye?" he offered quietly. With a barely-audible sniffle, Chell nodded.

The chamber doors whooshed open, and Orion sparked awake. His optic bobbed up and down happily, sending a smile across Chell's face and painful pangs across her heart.

"Io, Io!" he peeped. "Finally! Going to space! Off to spaaaaace!" He rolled completely around a few times before slowing to a stop, looking over her shoulder at Doug. "Hiiiii, Lab R-Rat! Oh!" The 'pupil' of his optic shrank. "Where is Io going to sit?"

Chell froze with a gasp. The color drained from Doug's face. He stepped slowly forward, a saddened smile forming on his face.

"Chell...Io...she can't come with you."

Chell bit her trembling lip and gulped hard, trying to fight back her tears. The thought of Orion, away from her. The week itself had been nearly insufferable, but to think of being forever apart...

Orion let out a small, worried grunt, trying to wrap his circuits around the idea. "But...space suit? She could -"

Doug's smile faded. "I'm sorry. She has to stay with us."

She rubbed her wrist and stared at the floor, already feeling empty and substantially more alone.

No, this was right. This was necessary. The way it had to be. He...he would be happier in space.

The yellow starburst darted back and forth between Doug and Chell, ceiling and floor, left and right. His excited whimpers had turned into nervous ones, louder and louder.

"Io!" he finally choked.

She couldn't take it any more. With a strained cry, she pushed past Doug and nearly tackled the orb, embracing Orion in a tight hug. Orion rolled against her, pressing his optic to her face in a motion that could almost be described as an affectionate nuzzle.

Gripping him tighter, she let out a choked sob. He didn't have to leave. He could stay. He _could_! And then they wouldn't _have _to be apart. Then...

"Chell."

Doug's voice brought her back to vicious reality, and she buried her face defiantly into Orion's orb, clutching him tighter. She heard Doug sigh impatiently, and she added a stubborn grunt to her rebellion.

"Orion, remember: you're our star."

Within her arms, Orion grunted, wriggled. "Oh...yes. Io." His panicked voice turned gentle, and Chell pulled back to look at him. She wasn't crying; she wouldn't allow it this time. But it was a struggle keeping her tears back.

"Io," he continued, "I'm gonna be your st-star, okay? S-so don't w-worry about m-me, okay? I'll always be k-keeping an eye o-on you."

She slowly withdrew, nodding, squeezing her eyes tightly to prevent the tears. Doug ushered her toward the observation room, careful as always not to directly touch her, but she whirled around again as a gentle song poured from Orion's core, his own voice singing the lyrics:

"Then the traveler in the dark,  
>Guided by my tiny spark,<br>She could not see which way to go,  
>If I did not twinkle so."<p>

Doug urged her away, and slowly she crept into the observation room, pressing her hands against the cold glass, breathing hotly and fogging it as her tears stung her eyes. Orion kept his optic on her, and even through the glass she could hear his voice.

"In the dark blue sky I'll keep,  
>And watch over while you sleep,<br>For I'll never shut my eye,  
>'Till the sun is in the sky."<p>

A familiar, high-pitched whirring nearly overpowered the song. Above him, the giant portal device was starting to glow, starting to power on. A room-quaking pulse told her the first portal had already been shot; all that was left was the product of the shining blue light above the satellite's body.

"As your bright and tiny spark,  
>I'll light your path in the dark.<br>I'll be near though I am far,  
>Twinkle, twinkle, little-"<p>

The portal shot, flooding the chamber with sharp blue light and a boom. A vast noise, like a great wind, rose up, and as an equally-loud whoosh closed the portal, the light faded.

The chamber was clear.

Orion was gone.

* * *

><p>"SPAAAAACE!"<p>

The satellite rocked through the emptiness, giggling wildly at the cold void before him. Suddenly, he struck something, and turned just in time to see a familiar gray sphere. The collision sent the sphere spinning as it ricocheted, heading rather quickly towards the atmosphere.

"...Space Buddy?"

* * *

><p>Chell gulped, bracing herself against the observation room door, dizzied and somewhat awestruck. He'd really left. And somehow, she felt all right with it. Deep inside – or, perhaps, not so deep – she knew he was happier, knew everything was going to be just fine.<p>

"You aren't going to cry?" GLaDOS jested from her speakers. "Aw, aren't you going to miss your boyfriend?"

Chell blushed, frowning. Whoever said anything about Orion being her _boyfriend_?

"Oh, don't get angry. He _has _a link back to us, you know. You can talk to him at any time, so rest assured you can continue your little long-distance relationship."

With a huff, she whipped around, making a less-than-polite hand gesture to three of GLaDOS's cameras. Presumably ignoring her, the AI went on:

"He's going to break your heart, you know. After all, there are _plenty _of _other _large, spherical, pale heavenly bodies out there. Ha ha."

Doug suddenly burst out in laughter, just as suddenly clamping his hands over his mouth as Chell glared daggers at him.

"Ack! N-no, wait! I wasn't laughing at the joke! She said-" He cut himself short, turning a nice shade of red. "It was...what she said. Excuse me!" He brushed quickly past her and down the hallway.

As it dawned on her, Chell's gray eyes went wide, and she also turned a lovely shade of bright pink.


	21. Intermission 3: GLaDOS

She didn't know how it got there.

No one had walked in for the last few hours. Camera records would corroborate this fact.

No pipes led directly to that spot.

Yet there it sat.

That _cube_.

Playing that old, sickeningly sweet tune.

Even now, the lyrics churned their way through her head. She had no idea how she knew the lyrics, no clue in what database they resided. At first, she assumed it was some remnant of that awful human Caroline, but that was merely impossible.

She _stared_ at the cube, somehow frozen. Somehow _intimidated_ by it. Not even her claws would work.

She needed to page him. To call him. Come get this atrocious thing before she sends it down the incinerator.

But there was no way she could do that.

_You walk in the room and you're wearing a frown,  
>You reach for the shelf and cradle it down<br>The Music Box Dancer, what does it prove?  
>Only that you need to see a statue that moves.<em>

No. No, no, no, no, _no, no, __**no.**_

She tried to shake her head, tried to free herself of the words. But they were embedded deep, penetrating every firewall and diversion she threw at them. They stung at her, barbed with poison more venomous than even her neurotoxin.

_Music Box Dancer, she is only a toy,  
>Project upon her your dreams of wanting life's joy;<br>She's perched on her stand, and never will part,  
>A final gaze upon her, now the music will start.<em>

Somehow she found the courage – no, not _courage. _A lack of courage would imply that she was afraid, and she was _certainly not afraid_ of just an average cube.

An average cube that knew how to press her buttons.

An average cube that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

But somehow the...the _willpower_ appeared, and she summoned Doug on the intercom.

"Douglas, come and get your...object."

_The room fills with music, such a cute song,  
>Watching her go 'round and 'round, she's where she belongs;<br>Bring joy to the watchers, spreading a glow,  
>Whenever wound up, she'll put on a good show.<em>

"No, higher. Higher! Haha!"

"Ahh, look at her run. What, you don't like magnets?"

"Who's she kidding? She can't go anywhere. Ooh, you came close that time!"

They died. They were _all_ dead! They had paid long ago for their crime. Yet their voices, the memories, as fresh as the day they were carved, still remained within her.

_Music Box Dancer, do you think or believe  
>She could step off her box if she wanted to leave?<br>So easy it is, twirl around with such grace,  
>Staying in her circle, she remains in one place.<em>

Those three had been the first to go, crushed by her body in what could only be called self-defense. The sick game they had played with the magnetized pole could've easily destroyed her circuitry. She had been protecting her own life.

She was _always_ protecting her own life.

_In real life we're plastic, nature's unfair,  
>How can we breathe life, how can we share<br>The knowledge and insights hidden in tombs,  
>We're all Music Box Dancers all alone in our rooms;<br>We sit on our shelves where objects reside,  
>We don't allow the music to get right inside.<em>

Protecting herself from those perverse scientists. From that renegade test subject who would certainly take revenge. From that madman who lived in the walls and talked to the voices in his head. They would kill her if they got the chance. So she killed them first...or pushed them away.

Loneliness was her destiny. It was the only way to survive.

The _only_ way.

The...only...

"GLaDOS?"

The music had stopped ages ago. Doug had taken the cube back to his office but had returned, bothered by the change in GLaDOS's appearance. The titanic AI was hanging limp from the ceiling, dangling as if nothing held her up. Carefully approaching her, he barely touched the bottom of her faceplate.

Instantly she reared up, her optic narrowing at him. "What?"

Eyes wide, he stepped back. "Ah! I thought you were..."

"Shut down for the count? Not a chance. I was merely looking to see _how_ that musty old prototype ended up in my chamber. A tube redirected itself. Odd. Seems to be a glitch. At any rate, it and its pathetic music are gone, and right now all I care about is getting some peace and quiet."

It chilled him how expressionless she wasn't. The look on her faceplate clearly said she wanted him out, and it didn't take long for him to comply.

The forced memory played through in her mind once more. It was only enough to annoy her this time:

_Music Box Dancer's now completely alone,  
>No winder or no listener, because nobody's home;<br>How long before someone will re-wind the spring?  
>The room will now be witness; and silence can't sing<em>


	22. Intermission 4: Wheatley

Space, they said.

The final frontier, they said.

It certainly felt final.

His internal clock told him he'd been up there for several months now, drifting alone in the vast darkness. His...overly excitable companion had wandered off some thousand yards and was currently out of sight and thankfully out of earshot.

If he had ears. And if space carried sound.

He'd said his apology, recorded it. Doubted it was any good. Probably wouldn't be. How do you apologize to someone you never see again?

His clouded mind was always working, always churning. He felt the bad ideas wax and wane like the phases of the moon, and yet no idea truly appealed to him. Of course most of those ideas involved equipment that was far beyond his reach, like interstellar catapults or conveyor belts.

_Space_ conveyor belts.

Time passed, and he had an inkling that his internal clock was wrong. Days didn't seem to match up with the turning of the earth or the revolution of the moon. Or perhaps they just felt longer. Either way, coupled with the regret of his actions and the despair of never being able to repent for them, Wheatley eventually felt a grim finality to his existence.

He had been in space about three months when he decided to shut down.

Of course he couldn't _really_ shut down. He would need an Aperture Science Personality Core Shutdown and Containment Module to properly do that. But no one had ever told Wheatley that, so he just assumed shutting off his optic would be the next best thing.

For a few weeks he floated blindly, believing he was dead.

When the signal came, he ignored it. Because he was dead. No use answering a signal if you're not alive to answer it.

Several more signals. How rude, harassing a dead guy like that. Didn't they know how insanely dead he was? Kicked the space bucket, shuffled off this mortal space coil, run down the space curtain and joined the choir invisible.

…._Space_ choir invisible.

So annoying. He needed to do something about this.

Immediately he switched off all power to his communications system, losing his current location and permanently disabling the homing beacon. There was no sense in having it at all when he was completely, totally, and absolutely pushing up the metaphorical space daisies.

It occurred to him – once – that perhaps the person who'd been trying to contact him was _her_. But why would _she_ want to talk to him? Didn't she know what a jerk he was? How much he deserved to be in space?

An image flashed in his memory banks, forcing his optic to come online. Her concerned face, hand outstretched, the other arm gently clasped by GLaDOS's vice-like claw.

Reaching for him.

For a brief moment, he considered staying alive.

Then his bad-decision processor kicked in, and all went dark once more.


	23. The Return

The Central Control Chamber was a flurry of activity when Chell stepped in.

"I _said _45 degrees!"

"That _was_45 degrees!"

"Your calculation was 46.75 degrees _and_in the wrong direction!"

Doug threw his hands up. "Ugh! Fine! You're the omniscient supercomputer. You do it!"

"_What?_" GLaDOS snaked back and forth with panicked anger. "Douglas, we have no time for you to act like a child!"

"Well, if I had an extra pair of _hands-_"

"Ohhh, not _this _again!"

Chell whistled loudly, diverting their attention. With a huff she walked to one of the consoles by Doug and gave him a quizzical yet confident look.

Doug blinked at her, his mismatched eyes wide. Though he doubted she knew anything about physics, she, unlike GLaDOS, seemed willing to help. He pointed to a screen that depicted a series of numbers coupled with a green-and-black diagram of a round object falling downward.

"Gamma somehow entered the atmosphere overnight. Orion gave us coordinates and a trajectory, but our aim needs to be _precise_. We can't fire too many shots either, or else we improve the chances of the Combine seeing us."

Grimacing, Chell stepped back, This kind of science was out of her league.

"I _could _focus and get a clear shot," Doug spat, "if some nosy AI wasn't breathing down my neck."

"Oh, come on. You and I both know you work best under pressure."

Chell shot her a glare. GLaDOS's optic flashed wide, and, to everyone's surprise, she backed away. Chell followed her to the center of the room, where GLaDOS halted and hovered, her attention once more turned to Doug. Chell slowly raised her hand and lightly set it on GLaDOS's chassis almost absently, her mind more on Wheatley's trajectory than what she was doing.

The AI swiftly pulled away, nearly knocking Chell over. "What do you think you're doing? Do I look like a horse to you? I'm not some _animal _you can domesticate by patting its nose. Go on, back up."

Chell snickered a bit but obeyed, backing up a step. GLaDOS continued a semi-quiet rant about how Chell was invading her personal space. The AI was still distracted enough for Doug to focus on the controls, which was all that really mattered.

The equations lit up like blown embers as soon as he looked at the screen. Numbers in flaring orange and red, right and wrong, measured the trajectory in seconds. He knew which shots he needed to take and immediately input the angles.

There was a small matter of timing, but within a couple seconds the problem had corrected itself. The shot fired right on time. Doug re-evaluated the trajectory and...

"Dammit!" He slammed his fist on the console, momentarily interrupting GLaDOS's tirade. They both looked up at him in concern.

But he was in his element now. A plethora of red numbers flashed and burned angrily, quickly flaring white-hot with his miscalculation. Yellow ones replaced them, fizzling into bright green on the black background until it was hard to tell which were his calculations and which were the real numbers.

That seemed _much _better.

The second shot switched Gamma's trajectory but sent him into a violent spin, unfortunately unobserved by the three monitoring his path along the sky. All they saw was a green blip on the screen, headed to an area somewhere north of Aperture.

"Well, terrific," GLaDOS sighed as one of the outside cameras watched the white-hot core zoom down and impact the earth. "You didn't hit the city like I _thought _you would."

Doug rolled his eyes. "Well, there's another issue. I'm not finished with the Recovery Bot. There's no way we can retrieve Gamma.."

Chell eagerly raised her hand. Both of them looked at her, then resumed talking, ignoring her completely.

"Just work faster and finish that 'bot. We'll need it sooner or later anyway, and I'm sure that core can sit out there for a couple days without incident."

"I don't want to take that chance. After we fought them off last time, they'll come back with more soldiers, and they'll probably widen their search. Besides, even if I _am_half-finished, you know it's not that easy to build a damn robot from scratch, especially with what limited materials I have."

Chell knit her brows, wiggling her hand in the air.

"I gave you turret parts and all the soldering supplies. What more do you need?"

He grunted. "It would be easier if I had some sort of schematic besides Atlas's."

Waving vehemently, Chell groaned dryly.

"Blue's schematics are just fine. You're smart; you're a scientist; you deal."

"_Atlas_is somewhat flawed in both power and speed. They were built for testing, not for action."

Chell bit her lip hard enough to punch a hole through it, shooting a glance at the chamber's doorway. She wondered if the elevator could run by itself.

"_Blue_is still a highly efficient Aperture Science production."

"Oh, that's a laugh. So were you."

"Are you trying to say that I have some sort of defect?"

"Hah! More like you _are_the defect!"

GLaDOS reared up in her chassis. "Me? If anything, that messed-up brain of yours is the -"

"Wait," Doug interrupted, holding up his hand and scowling. "Where did Chell go?"

Instantly forgetting their feud, they both looked around for Chell, but found no one.

_We've had some times, haven't we?_

Chell's eyes squeezed shut, trying to force the voice from her head. Not now. Now was not the time.

_Like that time I jumped off my management rail, not sure if I'd die or not when I did, and all you had to do was catch me? And you didn't. Did you?_

Despite her best efforts, the voice still thrashed and squirmed in her mind, entwining joy and fear. She ran faster, pushing past the dry, broken wheat stalks as if to escape the memories.

_Where are you going? Nowhere. Not going anywhere. Got you trapped like a little jumpsuited rat._

No no no no no! She pushed away the guilt, the anticipation, trying to focus instead on the better times.

_Careful...let me light this jump for you._

Yes, when he saved her life. There were repeated times where he was actually –

_No need to be selfish, luv. You're gonna die._

_And we would have talked our way out of it. Except you forgot to tell me you'd murdered her. And that she needed you to live, so the only available vent for her rage would be good old crushable Wheatley._

_Easy little tidbits you could have used to save me from getting crushed if you'd cared, which you didn't, obviously. And still don't._

_I despise you. I loathe you. You arrogant, smugly quiet, awful jumpsuited monster of a woman._

Gritting her teeth, she pushed away the tears prickling at her eyes. This was not the time. She needed to find him and fast. GLaDOS's plan depended on it. However Wheatley acted beyond the confines of the plan was irrelevant.

Still...

Mixed dreams and nightmares had flooded her nights after her first few days. The excitement of Wheatley's return combined with her imaginings of his mental state, and honestly she didn't know whether to happily anticipate or anxiously worry.

She really wasn't about to find out. She didn't plan on resetting Wheatley like she'd done to the other cores. She was going to take what she could of his optic and haul back to Aperture. GLaDOS would deal with him then, and if he awoke and still maintained a murderous state, it was _her_problem.

In the pit of her stomach, Chell knew that was an ardent lie, but she still told herself that the scenario would follow those guidelines.

Immediately she could tell that this crash was different. Instead of the nice round hole that Orion had left or the easy slide that Rick created, Wheatley's crater was massive. Most of it stretched across the field, driving up dirt and rocks like shards of broken glass, but some of it had actually reached into a nearby wooded area, smashing and uprooting the trees. As Chell approached it, she realized that a long strip had actually been plowed into the earth, much farther through the forest than she'd first thought.

The pit he'd created was deep and wide, and looking into it, it took Chell a second to actually see where Wheatley was. Chell gently lowered herself down, more than aware that the drop was long enough to actually damage her legs.

_I should congratulate you, by the way. I didn't actually think you'd make such a worthy opponent. Weren't you supposed to be brain damaged or something?_

The voice sounded as though it had come from just behind her. Startled, she lost her grip and slid down the hole, struggling for purchase. With a gasp, she dug her fingers into the earth, groaning as her feet struggled for a hold.

_Yeah, brain damaged like a fox._

She finally found purchase on a rock and stopped, but she was already so close to the bottom that it ultimately wouldn't have mattered. With a sigh that would have revealed more than relief if anyone had been watching, Chell set foot on the bottom of the crater.

Wheatley sat a few feet away, half-wedged in a layer of clay dirt and upside down. Light smoke still plumed from his sides, and a good portion of him still flared red-hot. He'd come in poorly; the core's housing was all but churned to ribbons. Sharp shards of metal stuck out like a diabolical pinwheel; both handles were very obviously broken, their rods sticking out of the dirt in opposite directions.

Standing there, she found herself unable to do anything but stare at the mud-crusted ball.

_Ended up giving me the _worst _job, tending to all the smelly humans._

_I could pretend to her that I've captured you, and give you over and she'll kill you, but I could... go on living. What's your view on that?_

_ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?_

For the longest time, Chell couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry or be angry or relieved. When she finally snapped back to consciousness, the sky was painted with streaks of orange and pink.

Gripping the lower handlebar, which had snapped in half but was still sturdy, she pulled, and he popped free. She backed away as he rolled lifelessly, stopping right-side up. She gulped heavily, gripping both edges of the cooled orb's exhaust port and pulling them apart.

"I can't believe you'd let her go out there!" Doug huffed. "I thought we agreed that letting her outside was too dangerous! What if she gets captured, or if they attack her, or -"

"Douglas," GLaDOS snapped, interrupting the older scientist's tirade. She nosed toward her screens with her head. Three monitors matched to three birds, each watching Chell from their perch on a fallen tree.

Doug watched as Chell wrenched the optic from the core's damaged shell and cradled it to her chest. "I don't get it."

"You don't have to." GLaDOS swiveled around to face him. "I know we said we wouldn't let her go and do foolish things, but let's face it. This wasn't the job for a robot."

"All we had to do was send one out there and -" Doug gasped softly as he came to a realization. "You were _stalling_!"

"She needs this," GLaDOS said quietly. "I admit I don't know too much about human mourning, but she needs this kind of closure."

Doug bit his lip, looking again to the screens. "Do you really think Gamma is dead?"

"No, I think he's an idiot. And you humans mourn more than death, Doug. For example, mourning the loss of a friendship. Or, hopefully in this case, a rivalry." She scoffed. "I just hope he's not as much of a moron as I expect him to be."

Holding the optic in both hands, Chell traced the vertical crack in Wheatley's lens with her thumb. The hard lump in her throat didn't want to go away, wouldn't go away unless she did this. She _had _to know.

Reaching into the pocket of her borrowed and too large khakis, she pulled out an aged and cracked pen. She used this to transcribe her thoughts to Doug, though that wasn't very often, and she'd promised herself to carry it around as a general rule. Her fingers found the reset niche on Wheatley's back, knowing its location from her interactions with the other two cores.

Pixel by sparkling pixel, the core lit up as she pressed the pen in, a bright blue and familiar light that brought both comfort and anger to her heart. Instinct made her draw breath, made her eyebrows raise, made her pupils dilate just a little.

"Izzzzzat you... luv?" The first of his words were merely a static buzz.

She couldn't stop the tears as she nodded.

"'m... sorry..."

The swelling of joy in her heart deflated instantly as the blue light flickered once, twice... and then extinguished entirely.


	24. The Change

She ran back the whole way with the darkened core clutched to her chest and tears flying from her eyes. Forced to stop and face the adrenaline and memories she was trying to escape, she crawled into the corner of the elevator as it traveled down, hugging Wheatley securely and whimpering like a whipped pup.

She popped up on the monitors, flying by them as she made her way back to GLaDOS's chamber. Doug sighed, facing the door and trying to curb his anger. The whole situation of Chell being outside was making him ferociously upset, so much that tiny, bright-green arrows had invaded the areas around his vision, prepared to shoot Chell down as soon as she set foot inside.

The doors slid open, and Chell burst in.

Doug immediately held out an arm to slow her. "Chell, you shouldn't have -"

She bypassed him altogether, bringing Wheatley's empty optic to GLaDOS straightaway, holding it in both palms and sobbing, like a child presenting a broken toy to her parent.

GLaDOS gazed at Wheatley's cracked optic for a moment, strictly forbidding any sort of emotion to pass through her system. The plan – and gaining Chell's trust – depended on her being as unbiased as possible, even if she _did _want to crush the throne-stealing, greedy little pathetic excuse for a personality core.

A claw descended and opened, but as it neared the core, Chell pulled him away, giving GLaDOS an ardent glare.

"Well, what do you suggest I _do_if you won't let me fix him?" GLaDOS huffed, pulling the claw away. "He seems to be in far worse shape than the others, if not solely due to his own idiocy."

Chell relaxed a little, leaning more toward GLaDOS. The AI offered her claw again, slowly this time, trying to fight back an optical eyeroll. It was like dealing with a wild animal, and GLaDOS had a severe deficit of patience for such.

Sniffling, Chell released the optic into GLaDOS's grasp. The claw held it gently – so gently, yet one good _squeeze_– but no, no. Chell was... trusting her. GLaDOS focused her optic on the woman, who was now being offered a handkerchief by Doug. For a second, all of her old emotions flooded back: they had betrayed her, the two – three, counting the moron in her claw – of them, tried once again to kill her and bury her forever in the tomb of her birth. Keeping her here, forever with her memories. They ought to be punished. Ought to be.

"_Would you have done things differently, if you could?_"

GLaDOS's optic widened at her remembrance of Doug's words. Hours upon hours, they had reflected upon the past, present, and future. She'd made a promise, not only to him but to herself. She would no longer hurt her allies.

Gently, her claw trembling as she fought the temptation, GLaDOS quickly carried Wheatley's optic to the connection ports. Two smaller claws plugged him in, and a jolt of electricity made his optic sparkle to life, although it immediately popped off again.

Chell gulped, wiping back tears as she watched. Doug came up to her, raising a hand to settle comfortingly on her shoulder. His palm hovered above her skin for a second or two before he quickly retracted it. Sighing in defeat, he settled himself to only watch and worry.

Data flashed up on the screens. Somehow, it looked different than the information that Orion and Rick provided; it came up slower, scrolled slower, backtracked every so often. GLaDOS, watching the screens, let out a low shudder, prompting Chell to look at her.

"The more I remember... the less I _want _to remember.," she muttered. "All this data. Not that you two would understand, but it's both familiar and uncomfortable seeing this again."

"I don't know about Chell - well, she probably... more than I did, but -" Doug cleared his throat, shifting slightly. "I'd imagine it's like seeing something that used to belong to your ex. All the memories come flooding back, good and bad, and you're not quite sure exactly how to feel. If it's anything like that, I'm sure either of us can relate."

GLaDOS's optic narrowed. "_Please _tell me you are _not _likening that _moron _to a former _lover_."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Doug gulped. Chell coughed a little, hiding a chuckle.

After a few more minutes, the screens flashed to a view of fire and rain. Chell gasped as she recognized the Central AI Chamber, half-blazing, half-soaking. As both fire and Conversion Gel melted away, she saw herself, filthy, wounded, and angry, staring into the camera as if her eyes were lasers.

"Oh, that just washes off, does it? Would've been good to know a little earlier!"

Chell winced at Wheatley's voice. The Chell on the screen seethed and dashed forward, slipping into a portal below the camera. An explosion suddenly rocked the image, shifting it to static.

"PART FIVE! BOOBY-TRAP THE STALE-"

Static reigned for another moment before clearing out, showing Chell on her stomach, weakly grasping for the portal device. A stripe of blood painted the left side of her face, and she was coughing and gasping for breath.

Chell turned away, unable to see any more. She knew what happened next; she'd dreamed of it a million times before. Doug looked at her, a mixture of shock and worry painting his face. He wanted so badly to comfort her, to embrace her protectively, but his hands refused every command he gave them. It was not his place, not the proper time, and his intrusion on her personal space would be more or less unwelcome. Biting his bottom lip, he idly rubbed the back of his head, as if physically holding the excuses in.

There was a sharp click as GLaDOS switched off the screens, shuddering again with a metallic rattle. Evidently she didn't want to see it, either.

"Glad he remembers us well," she spat, glaring at the blank core. The two small claws quickly unhooked him before another claw snatched him up. Snapping the claw's cable like a whip, GLaDOS tossed Wheatley's optic to the corner of the room. She let out a small growl, turning back to her screens, but quickly whirled around as she saw Chell rushing to recover Wheatley.

"_What are you doing? _You saw as much as I did! You know what he's like... or did you forget? Do you honestly think he'd change just because we brought him back down?"

Chell picked up the optic, clutching it so tightly that she thought _she _might break it. With narrowed brows, she pointed at GLaDOS accusingly, then tapped the side of the optic with her fingernail.

"I don't understand."

Chell mouthed her words angrily, marching up to GLaDOS's headpiece and smacking away the aged word processor when GLaDOS offered it. Her throat made dry, scratchy noises as she tried to shout. She prodded the AI's faceplate with an angry finger, dropping Wheatley for a moment to give GLaDOS's head a hard, angry shove.

Doug shrunk back, well aware of how easily GLaDOS could be provoked, preparing himself for any kind of attack. Instead, GLaDOS merely stared into Chell, recoiling after the push.

"I changed?"

Chell nodded, brushing away tears as she picked up Wheatley again.

"Ridiculous."

"Actually -" Doug started, but then shrank back again. GLaDOS gave him a small glance before turning back to Chell, who gave the AI another one-handed push. She offered Wheatley out, tapping vehemently on his cracked optic lens.

"Are you serious?" GLaDOS sighed. "You honestly, honestly want me to bring him back?"

Chell nodded.

With another sigh, GLaDOS took Wheatley's optic once more. Raising it to the height of her own optic, she suddenly gave it a vigorous shake.

"_Wake up, moron! We have company!_"

The blue optic flashed on momentarily. Chell's eyes flashed wide.

He couldn't possibly be...

GLaDOS shook him harder. "If you don't stop pretending to be dead and join the last sane members of the Being Alive Club, I swear I _will_put you through the Crusher and show you what death is _really _like."

"Gah!" Wheatley's optic flashed on, immediately narrowing and darting madly about. "A-awright! I'm alive, I'm alive!"

Doug choked a bit. "He was faking...?"

Chell narrowed her eyes. She was going to _murder _him.

Wheatley's optic finally landed on Chell, growing a bit before shrinking back twice the size. "Ah! 'Ello, l-luv!"

Chell's lip curled threateningly.

"I-I really _was _dead, y'know. Wasn't faking, not-not too much anyway. Why...aha... why're you lookin' at me like that, luv...?"

"Please take him before I crush him." GLaDOS lowered her claw.

Chell huffed a little as she reclaimed the blue core. At first she refused to look at him, trying to remain aloof, but the _way_he looked at her, almost adoringly, his optic almost tennis-ball sized and focused exclusively on her, finally drew her attention.

"Really am sorry," he started quietly. "I know I was real horrible and nasty and selfish, and I did deserve to be up in space – trust me, _no _argument there. And – and maybe – just-just a bit of an idea that popped up – maybe you actually sort of forgive me, seeing as you're not letting, ah, _her _crush me?"

Rolling her eyes, Chell nodded. Suddenly, with a strangled grunt, she hugged him tightly, pressing him to her chest. Her shoulders jerked as she fought back sobs.

GLaDOS gave the faintest hint of a sigh before turning away. She was struggling to fight down her paranoia; morons in groups were never safe. She was about to return to her screen when a small whistle from Chell brought her attention around.

Smiling for the first time in quite a while, Chell beckoned GLaDOS closer. More out of curiosity, GLaDOS edged forward. Chell gently set her palm on GLaDOS's faceplate, cradling Wheatley in her other arm. Her smile widened as she felt GLaDOS give her hand a soft push.

Odd. So odd. The emotion trying to process through GLaDOS's sensory databanks was completely unfamiliar, even when compared to her emotions closest to Caroline's actual ones. In fact, it was more of a computer emotion, if she could call it that. As if all her code was running securely. As if everything functioned in synch and without glitches.

Chell turned and beckoned to Doug. When he was close enough, Chell pulled him into the awkward group hug, sandwiching him between herself and GLaDOS's faceplate. He gave a nervous grin to GLaDOS's optic, but then he seemed to relax entirely.

GLaDOS pressed again, nudging Chell's hand and Doug's arm. It was a strange unity but somehow as wonderful as slipping a puzzle piece into its proper slot. Even the moron's presence didn't bother her now, and it wasn't solely because he was trembling violently in Chell's arm. There was something nice about this, something that made GLaDOS wish it hadn't only lasted a second or so.

Doug chuckled nervously and returned to the control panel, immediately pulling up the Decision Processor. Chell gave Wheatley a few playful taps on his optic until he apologized again. GLaDOS, for a moment, couldn't properly move. Her smoothness returned, and she swung up to her monitors again, pulling up a set of blueprints.

She had solved it.

The strange emotion worming its way through her circuits, making her feel oddly complete, even without her cores and tests.

_Acceptance_.


	25. The Moron

The Fact Core loved his job. He loved not being corrupt any more. He loved watching the turrets as they rode in neat lines all the way to Packaging. He loved seeing the rejects being weeded out. Everything was pristine, organized, and flowing.

Sliding along his rail, his pink ocular gazed admiringly at the lasers as they performed their dance, cutting out turret pieces in perfect coordination. He reminded himself to get some music down here later, something fairly appropriate for their _pas de lumiere_. Perhaps some Mozart or Bach – oh! Or Liszt! The very thought of such sophistication made him nearly giddy with joy, and he railed off in search of the proper euphoric euphony.

He was halfway to his office when the old intercom gave a loud whine, followed by_her_ booming voice.

"Fact Core, you are to report to the Central Command Chamber immediately."

He froze. His pink, dial-like optic went dark, with only a 'slice' of pink appearing at a time, circling around his ocular like a rotary phone. Why would she want him? And why now? According to his databanks, he hadn't done anything wrong.

Regardless, commands were commands. He hopped on to the rail leading to the Central Chamber and sped off, still thinking of Liszt.

**

"All you've got to do is take the moron with you -"

"Not a moron," Wheatley quietly interjected.

"-and plug him into the nearest computer when you get there. And then you run back out. Simple as cake."

The Fact Core turned sharply away, avoiding his boss's glare. "No. The Fact Core lacks both tactical training as well as physical capability to undergo such a task."

"Yes," GLaDOS hissed, her patience thinning, "that's why we have the body."

Chell pursed her lips, looking up at the pink-eyed core on the rail. He was shivering quite violently, sending a soft rattle through the beam as he tried his hardest to look away. Scared to death, not that she blamed him.

With a sigh, her eyes fell on the robot 'body' that GLaDOS had mentioned. Sitting slumped against the far corner of the room, it looked like a prototype of Blue – or Atlas, depending on who you were talking to – but with a hollow shell in the middle, shaped to hold some round thing, namely a Personality Core.

The Fact Core said nothing in response to GLaDOS, choosing instead to stare at the floor. Doug, standing as always a few steps behind Chell, sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"The Robotic Assisted Weaponry and Mobility Armor should give you enough protection." Doug sighed again, knitting his brows so fervently that several creases formed. He rubbed his forehead as if to massage them away. Evidently he didn't like his creations being rejected. "I specifically made it with speed and maneuverability in mind, so you should be able to work quickly and safely."

The Fact Core turned again to look at the robotic armament.

"Granted, I didn't have the capacity to give it any weapons—" At this, the Core began shivering again. "—but if used properly, it will get the job done."

Chell huffed. This was ridiculous. Give her a gun – hell, give her a portal device – and she'd be able to do the job in half the time. Once more, she looked at Fact, shaking her head slowly. Looking up at GLaDOS, she started a bit as she realized that the AI was already glancing her direction.

She made a typing motion with her fingers. GLaDOS shook her large head.

"I know what you're going to say. And my answer is 'no'. From both of us."

Chell whipped around to glare at Doug, who shrank back.

"Y-yes, we both agree that the best thing for you is to stay here."

"I allowed you to leave and pick the moron up."

"Not a moron" Wheatley hissed again, still keeping his voice low.

GLaDOS ignored him and continued. "I won't have you risking your life on something that a robot could easily do. That Personality Core is more capable, and, frankly, expendable."

Chell turned her attention to Doug, switching her glare to GLaDOS. She reached a hand up to the Fact Core, who was barely within reach, and gave him a gentle, comforting tap of her fingers. He responded, naturally, by shivering harder.

Chell prodded her sternum with her finger, then pointed exit-ways. The stern look on her face remained constant.

"No," repeated GLaDOS.

With a slight huff, Chell stuck her nose in the air. Quickly, she turned and bolted from the chamber. GLaDOS sealed the door behind her.

Doug scratched the back of his head. "It's for the best, really. She just can't go."

"This won't be the end of it." GLaDOS flipped on her triad of monitors, flipping over several more panels that were also connected to visual devices. Chell was seen breezing down the hallways, heading not in the direction of her room but for the testing chambers.

"Oh no," GLaDOS groaned.

Passing Blue and Orange, she snatched Blue's portal device from his hands. He made a scratchy, annoyed sound, but she didn't stop or even slow for a second. Dashing into the nearest open test chamber, she fired portals at two of the three cameras hung high on the walls. Feeds on two of the monitors immediately went to static, but the third clearly showed Chell's angry visage.

"Get out of there this minute," GLaDOS said via intercom. "You have not been scheduled for testing and – _hey! Stop that!_"

A weighted cube was currently flying from a portal on the low ceiling to one on the floor, gaining momentum from its repeated drop. A well-placed portal flung the cube horizontally through the air, where it smashed into a wall panel, cracking it severely.

Chell ripped off a part of the panel with a savage grunt. She flung it far across the test chamber and into a pool of goo, where it dissolved instantly. Out of GLaDOS's command, the chute dropped another weighted cube, and Chell started the process again, wrenching and tearing at the panel while the cube gained the necessary speed.

GLaDOS slunk back, curling her body in disgust. "My God, that psycho's going to break _everything_."

"You can just make more panels," Doug said. He winced as a cube shot toward the camera, smashing it to bits. Static filled the screen. "And cameras."

"That's not the point!" GLaDOS wriggled angrily, snaking back and forth. The monitors disappeared behind the panels, though the noises of Chell's assault could still be heard, even from this distance. "She's doing it on purpose and – augh!" GLaDOS winced.

Doug scratched at his beard. "And you can feel it." He sighed. "When should we give in?"

"Now you know how I felt," grumbled Wheatley, earning a violent shake from GLaDOS's claw.

"Amazing how no one cares," she growled back. He rolled his optic and remained quiet.

Suddenly, GLaDOS gave a violent jerk. Half of her body went to the right side, the other half twisting to the left. She curled up, nearly into a neat ball against her casing, and, to Doug, wore an expression as if she'd heard nails on a chalkboard.

"Th-that… what is she doing!?"

Her triad of primary monitors switched pictures, suddenly shifting to life as her birds flew to the test chamber. Chell turned to them as soon as they arrived, crossing her arms and giving a death glare into their tiny cameras. The birds focused instead to the wall behind her.

"Oh my God," Doug gasped.

On the wall, scratched in with some bit of refuse that Chell had found behind the panel, was a message:

I AM NOT A CHILD

In smaller letters below, something else was scrawled:

YOU CANT KEEP ME HERE 4EVER

"Y-you know," Doug said, "I think we should let her go now…"

**

"Scraped on the walls? Just like that?"

"Yeah," Doug said, giving a puff of nervous laugh. "GLaDOS repaired it almost right away, but imagine! Doing something like that! And so quickly!"

"She sounds like a real terror."

"Oh, no. She's actually quite…"

He paused, thinking of all the harsh glares Chell had given him. Her stormy eyes always seemed to sink deeply into his soul, dragging out his harsh secret by its ears, and carve a hole in his heart. The group hug the other day had been the only time where she'd actually shown him any kindness.

Not that he deserved any.

He gulped, unsure how to finish his statement. "She's a capable woman. Certainly capable."

"Yes, but we knew that. Impressive, but unsociable."

"She doesn't really need to talk. Her actions say enough."

A light, airy laugh rose into the air. "Apparently so!"

There was a moment of silence before the childlike voice spoke again. "Does she suspect you yet?"

"Who, Chell?"

"Yes, of course. Is there something you're not telling me, Doug? Something GLaDOS should suspect you of?"

A light shade of pink coated his cheeks. "Of course not. And I'm sure Chell doesn't suspect anything. Not that your shenanigans helped."

"I'm sorry. But there's no way I'm keeping quiet around that monster!"

He gave the cube a gentle pat. "GLaDOS isn't our enemy any more. You need to -"

He straightened up, looking toward the door. Quiet footfalls announced Chell's approach. Rolling his desk chair away from the work station, he lowered his voice to a whisper.

"We'll talk more later."

"Well, you can talk to me later. I want to see this girl for myself."

Doug gulped, unsure of what to do. Should he make introductions? No; he knew she wouldn't hear Cube's voice. He'd end up looking crazy.

Well, crazi_er_.

Chell stepped into Doug's office, her lip curling at the low light and dingy atmosphere. She didn't really like visiting, even when Orion was being held here. Doug seemed to revel in the darkness, in the clutter. While she tried to convince herself that he was harmless, his preference for dark, hidden areas and his unnatural shift between bizarre, adoring smiles and nervous tremors definitely set off some internal red flags.

Not to mention the fact that she'd _just_ heard him talking to _some_one…

"Chell!" He rose from his chair, welcoming her with a smile. "I wasn't expecting you until later."

Her eyes flashed from him to the cube and back again. She frowned. His expression shifted nervously, though he still kept the smile, and he ushered her towards the main lab. "I just wanted to show you the prototype ASHPD I was designing."

He pronounced it 'ash-pod,' which threw Chell off a bit. She was always used to hearing it referred to as 'the portal device' or even 'portal gun.' She knew the acronym in her head, but to hear it out loud was…odd.

Everything about Doug was odd.

She followed him slowly, her eyes still trained on the cube that sat on his desk. GLaDOS's long-ago words rang through her head:

_"Your Aperture Science Weighted Companion Cube will never threaten to stab you and, in fact, cannot speak."_

But this one could play music? Chell forced a grin, wondering if it was perfectly capable of stabbing someone as well.

The lab was brighter, lit by fluorescent bulbs instead of the tiny cone of light in Doug's office. On a table sat the portal device, looking somewhat sleeker and more streamlined. Instantly, she picked it up, cradling it into position. She found, instead of a trigger, a narrow tube at the end of the device into which she put her hand. Inside there was a grip, and she could feel two buttons beneath her first two and last two fingers. Her thumb rubbed against a rough, round button on the side of the grip.

"I haven't really played with the anti-grav," Doug said apologetically. Regardless, he beamed proudly at his creation. "Naturally, the two buttons are your portals, and the thumbkey allows you to dissolve both portals at your whim. It's non-functioning right now, though."

Chell clicked the buttons inside. The tube that contained her arm was fully padded, and though the whole device went up to her elbow, it didn't chafe or weigh her down. Tilting her head, she tapped on a small pair of lights near the end of the device. Two LEDs, both dark. One was clearly yellow, but the other was too dark to discern the color.

Doug smirked. "That's a bit of a surprise for later, if all goes well. I just mainly wanted to make sure it fit well and was comfortable enough for you to carry."

Chell nodded, a grin sneaking over her lips. She swung it around, aiming at walls and points on the ceiling. Yes, the aim would be greater, using the muscles of her whole arm rather than just her hand. Slipping her arm out, she handed the gun back.

He may have been crazy, but he was one hell of an engineer.

**

Chell's attention was drawn away from her workout by a loud, repeated series of clanging noises. Lowering the weights, her mouth twisting with curiosity, she stood from the freeweight bench, grinned at herself in the wall-length mirror, and set down the hall to see what all the fuss was about.

The aspect that drew her attention most was that the banging was not uniform. She was used to mechanics in this place, the drawn-out melody of construction and destruction, all set to the rhythm of science. This particular hammering was… chaotic. Arrhythmic. Therefore, it demanded explanation.

She entered the Central Command Chamber to see Doug, frowning with deep thought as he scribbled on a clipboard. Both his and GLaDOS's attention was drawn to something in the far corner of the room, evidently the source of the banging.

Doug's eyes suddenly went wide, and he sidestepped, narrowly dodging a large chunk of bent metal.

"Watch it," GLaDOS growled. "He's my only scientist, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't kill him."

"Whoops, sorry," came Wheatley's voice, sounding quite excited and not at all sorry.

Chell peeked in, looking at the origin of the twisted metal. Two loud stomps led her to a tall, hulking creation in the corner. It was, of course, Aperture white, with a rounded top sloping into a small hind end. Its arms were long and reached to the ground, with large forearms and high shoulders. The back legs were bent and shorter, making it look like a large, round, white gorilla robot.

It turned, and Chell gasped. In the middle of the large round top was an inset optic, bright sky blue.

"Oh!" he cried, a sheath sliding up from the bottom of his optic to give him a surprised look. "Oh, luv, it's you!"

He lumbered toward her, staggering awkwardly on his back two legs while the front two swung clumsily to and fro, actually striking against each other. His arched body straightened up, and he waved his black-hinged, four-fingered hands at her.

"Look!" he chirruped excitedly, "I've got hands, luv! _Hands_! An' look what else I can do!"

Clunking around to face a wall, he lifted both arms, interlocking his fingers into a ball and prepared to smash the closest panel. A blue dazzle of electricity shot through him, spiraling down his body. He let out a cry and staggered backwards, reeling before he set a hand upon what would have been his forehead, had a true face existed.

"Wha- why'd you do that!?" He gave an angry look to GLaDOS, his optic narrowing into a horizontal slit.

"Because I told you specifically not to break any more panels, and it seems you can't learn your lesson without a _healthy_ dose of _pain_."

Wheatley seethed but didn't make any other attempts at destruction. Instead, he toddled up to Chell on his short legs. He towered more than a foot over her head, standing taller than even Doug. Chell honestly felt intimidated, but she knew that GLaDOS wouldn't allow him the same power trip he'd been on before.

"We didn't make him for speed this time, since you're going with him," Doug said meekly, glancing with uncertainty at Wheatley. Evidently he wasn't happy about the Intelligence Dampening Core's towering size, either. "She wanted sheer power - for protection, you understand."

Chell nodded. Wheatley, sensing the tension, sank down, his massive fists touching the ground, until his optic was shoulder-level with her. His optic showed adoration, reminding her briefly of Orion. Then he raised a fist at her, brightening.

"Oh, look what _else_ they gave me!"

From the middle part of his large forearm, a circle popped out, strongly resembling a revolver's cylinder. A panel that stretched from his wrist to the cylinder also popped out, arching back on a track to fit with the cylinder's chambers.

Chell gulped as the barrel of Wheatley's gun-arm was, quite literally, staring her in the face.

"_Moron_!" GLaDOS barked. "Do _not_ point that at her! For the love of Science, you're supposed to be guarding her, not executing her!"

"I'm _not_ a – graaggghh!" Wheatley's body jerked as another shock went through him. Doug, who happened to be standing close enough to feel the hairs on his neck raise, jumped back like a surprised cat. Chell also started, then glared coldly at GLaDOS once the lightning faded.

"Good thing I didn't load the guns yet," Doug gulped, rubbing down his neck.

"Don't look at me like that," GLaDOS said, staring back at Chell. "It isn't my fault he's a slow learner."

Chell huffed but shook her head. Approaching GLaDOS, she made a typing motion, and like magic the old word processor appeared. After scratching her nose, Chell typed angrily, her fingers fluid on the yellowed keys.

"Yes, I know you're not a child. Your stance on this issue was painstakingly clear."

With a small growl, Chell continued typing.

"Ah, now that, I must disagree with. You may not need a 'babysitter,' as you so eloquently put it, but you do need protection. I'm not about to send you out there just to have that idiot drag your lifeless carcass back inside. Besides, he and I had a long discussion, coming to the conclusion that it would be in no one's best interest this time to see you dead."

"Uh, if I could..?" Wheatley interjected, clunking forward. "I don't _really_ think there's any way to really, really prove that I'm sorry. But if I could do this one thing – just-just this _one thing_ – for you, maybe I could prove that I'm just a tiny bit more than scrap metal."

Chell glanced at him, dubious.

Wheatley sighed, his mammoth body sagging. "What I mean to say is, I won't let nuthin' happen to ya. And not just 'cause the mission."

She narrowed her eyes slightly, but nodded. In all honesty, she was certain he wasn't trustworthy, but if she wanted to see this plan to fruition, she'd have to go along with it. Initially, she'd just wanted to take the mission to ensure Wheatley's safety, knowing full well that 'accidents' could happen on the way to or from City 04. If Wheatley mysteriously vanished or got blown up, GLaDOS could chalk it up to Fact's negligence or miscalculation.

"Well, good. We're all in agreement."

From the back of the room, Chell heard Doug mumble, "I'm not."

"I've designed a special testing track for your new body." GLaDOS looked down at Wheatley, resuming her role as The Boss and also seemingly enjoying the fact that she, out of all of them, could still overshadow the Intelligence Dampening Core. "We'll start on that as soon as you're ready. Chell, I know I promised myself not to test you, but this situation requires your special arsenal of skills. I want to make sure you two can work together as a team, provided you don't make an effort to kill me again."

It was a poor attempt at a joke. GLaDOS twisted nervously to the side before continuing.

"If all goes well, we'll ship you out tomorrow. Doug's got the new portal device prototype finished; I'll give it a final test tonight." She lowered, looking somehow deadly serious. "We are gonna bring the Combine to their knees…"


	26. The Testing

"First test."

Wheatley shakily entered the test chamber. For his new, titanic size, he felt meek, hesitant, as though he were just a core again. Smaller than a weighted cube. Not to mention, _he_was the one being tested now, and being under the microscope was not a position he liked too much.

"Blue will be your testing partner for this one," GLaDOS said as the robot entered from a tube. Its heelsprings squeaked as it landed, but it waved at Wheatley, unaffected. "That way you won't kill Chell off right away."

"N-now, I wouldn't-!" Wheatley started, indignant, but then stopped. It wasn't that he _wouldn't_. It was that he _might_. Accidentally. So he sulked, looking at Atlas, who twitched about unsteadily and gave him an expression of mild bemusement.

They walked into the test proper, which was a narrow but long strip of panels. A rusted tube dripping with Acceleration Gel sat at one end, along with two floor buttons.

"We had to sacrifice your speed for defense, so now you're as slow as your thought processes," GLaDOS drawled. "We need to find a way to compensate. So here is your first test. I think you'll find it slightly familiar."

He did. It was similar in form to one of the last tests he'd forced Chell to perform. A cube sat behind glass at one end, and a button linked to the Acceleration Gel pipe was placed in the corner. Another button would control a ramp at the other end of the test.

The issue came that the area under the pipe was just a drain and therefore could hold no portal. Unlike the test he had given, there would be no Acceleration Gel coating the ramp. It was less of an issue, really, and more of an annoyance, since Wheatley hadn't been allowed a portal gun. Atlas was his only key to solving the test.

The testing 'bot seemed to know how to operate, however, and opened portals into the glass area, grabbing the cube and setting it on the Gel's button. Orange fluid flowed like a waterfall, and without a second thought, Wheatley doused himself in it.

Atlas then scurried to the other button, standing on it to lift the ramp at the far side. Wheatley took a few steps backward, only finding himself extremely off-balance. His long arms flailed in the air, adding to his momentum until he fell on his side.

Unfortunately, the Gel still took over.

He screamed as he shot across the testing track, up the ramp, and through the air. Once airborne, his limbs flung out, each scrambling for something to grab, which sent him spinning like a Gel-covered, chunky ninja star.

Fortunately, GLaDOS had anticipated this, and instead of crashing into panels, he landed delicately onto a pile of mattresses, though he immediately stained them with the orange goop.

"_Eeeee-haaaaaa_!"

Wheatley looked to the air just in time to see an orange-painted Atlas sail through the air. He landed expertly on the mattress and started to laugh. At first Wheatley thought he was the target of Atlas's mockery, but after a few mimed poses of flying through the air, Wheatley realized Atlas was laughing at the enjoyment he'd had while soaring.

"Fun is not part of the test," GLaDOS groaned.

"Should've been!" Wheatley chuckled. "'Cause it seems we had it anyway, right, buddy?"

Atlas raised his arm up for a high-five. Wheatley complied – and smashed the poor robot's limb to bits. Atlas, thankfully, looked more shocked than hurt, but Wheatley was sent into a panic.

"Ohmigosh I didn't realize, mate! Are – are you all right?"

Atlas nodded, chirping. He then gave another short laugh and motioned with his remaining arm to the test's exit. Wheatley followed, and as Atlas jumped into his tube and started the disassembling process, Wheatley wondered where he should go.

"Into the other tube," GLaDOS said impatiently. "Since I'm marking this test as a failure, there's a piece of equipment that I'd like to try."

"This.. uh," He stared at his tube, then back at Atlas's half-dissembled body, unsure. "This won't _hurt_, willit?"

"That depends on whether you get in there now or if I have to shock you first."

"In! Getting in!" He nearly leaped into the tube. A strong band snaked under his arms and hefted him upward. He was surprised that she hadn't dissembled him, but as he vanished into the darkness, he felt a violent, jarring, but somehow painless shock that made his body go slack.

When he reached the next test – or, rather, when he regained consciousness inside the next test chamber – he noticed a new program install and something rather heavy on his back. He could not physically turn to see it, but upon opening his new program, he realized it was a jet pack.

"_Please _don't be a moron with this thing," GLaDOS huffed.

"Notamoron," he muttered sullenly.

"Bear in mind that, if you don't do this right, you _will_blow up."

Wheatley straightened. Yeah, that's what they told him about the rail. And the flashlight. And a myriad of other things. He activated the jet pack, noticing he was alone for this mission. The test chamber was pretty much the same setup, only without the Gel. A long stretch of hallway. A ramp. A wall coming in fast...

Wait, what?

"Gah!" Wheatley shielded his optic with both arms as he slammed into the wall. Fortunately, the jet pack was not at full strength, and he merely left a slight impression of himself on the panel.

"Moron," GLaDOS hissed from the speaker.

"Not a moron," he growled, shutting the jet pack off.

After a few trial runs, he managed to get a handle on short bursts of speed. It wasn't much, and on the flat surface of the testing panels, he fell more than a few times. Eventually, GLaDOS deemed the test a success, citing that the grass and other media would help him along during the mission.

As the lift – or what served as a lift, considering it was only another belt strapped under Wheatley's arms – pulled him up to the next test chamber, he saw a familiar and somewhat relaxing sight. Chell stood in the test's antechamber, portal gun gripped firmly in her hand. She smiled at him and motioned to the test door, eager to get started.

It was strange, from this angle. He had watched her test before, both for GLaDOS and for himself. He knew how good she was, and a part of him suspected this was all a ploy on GLaDOS's part to make him look like a fool.

Again.

But another part of him was even more worried that he wouldn't need GLaDOS's help looking like an idiot. Chell made him nervous, and his nervousness would cause mistakes. Mistakes would make GLaDOS call him a moron again or, worse, could get Chell injured. With a sigh and a great, nervous shudder, he pooled all his focusing programs together and promised himself not to screw up too much.

As the test's door peeled open, he saw the red lasers of turrets lining a corridor. He immediately felt his confidence sapping.

"A word before you begin," GLaDOS said, an air of professionalism to her voice. "Your goal here – and I'm talking to the incompetent one, not the murderer – is to prevent you or your accomplice from dying. Chell already knows what to expect, and, let's face it, that's all that _really _matters. So begin."

Chell rolled her eyes and tapped Wheatley's arm. She pointed to a strange-looking panel above the turret line. The turrets themselves were out of view.

"What's that?"

A small hole was bored through the middle, and a tube jutted out of it. It looked a bit like a hose.

Tapping his arm again, Chell shook her head. She motioned to the turret lasers pinpointed on the wall, then made a sweeping motion with both hands. Wheatley looked at her, optic tilted curiously.

"Um... nope, don't get it."

Chell groaned, smacking her forehead. Wheatley shrunk back, tapping his massive fingers together in embarrassment. What hope did he have of keeping her alive when he didn't even understand her?

She started to point to the hose again then scrunched up her face and waved her hand dismissively. Pointing instead to the end of the hallway, she started forward.

"Wait, wait! Let me try this!" He popped out his jet pack. She only had time to stare curiously before he scooped her up in a bear hug and started across the hall. He was vaguely aware that she was flailing, but he didn't have time to stop.

Unfortunately, she wrenched out of his arms in the middle of the hall. Without any warning whatsoever, the turrets began to fire.

"No!" Wheatley shrieked, twisting in mid-flight, his massive feet digging into the floor and literally grinding him to a halt.

Chell stood in the hall, both arms up to guard her face. All of the turrets' lasers were cast on her, but not a single bullet had been fired. The turrets still clicked violently as if they were shooting.

Wheatley let out a sigh of relief, though such a thing was literally impossible and vaguely unnecessary. He started back toward her, no longer worried about the gunfire.

He walked two steps before three turrets 'saw' him, guided their lasers on him, and fired.

Fired bullets.

Real bullets.

Real bullets that _hurt_.

"A-ah! Ow! What the-!?" He dashed for the center, grabbed Chell, and hauled her to safety, putting his back to the turrets to prevent her from injury.

"Did you even hear me?" GLaDOS growled from the speakers.

Wheatley looked skyward. "Oy, what are you doin', putting real bullets inta these things!? Someone could've gotten 'urt!"

"No, just you. They're only programmed to fire at _you_." She chuckled. "Amazingly, that was Doug's idea, not mine."

He slumped, sulking. Chell, who was shaking off her surprise, forced a smile and patted his forearm.

"No, no, don't give him a reward where he doesn't deserve one. He won't learn that way; quit spoiling him."

Chell chuffed, rolling her eyes. Wheatley investigated the room. It was a dead end containing only a weighted storage cube. The walls were structured to disallow portals.

Tapping her lip, Chell swished around, looking back down the hall. Giving him a nudge, she pointed to a portal-holding wall on a ledge above the turrets. She motioned back to the cube, made a 'pulling up' gesture with her hands, and pointed to Wheatley.

"You...want me to carry it?"

She nodded. Mentally, he scolded himself: of course she wants you to pick it up, you great lummox. Why would she even point to it if she didn't? She shouldn't have needed to point to it at all. Should've been obvious. Didn't you run tests at some point in time? Shouldn't you know this mess by now?

Fighting back a sigh, he hoisted the cube up. Chell shot a portal to the wall on the ledge, then looked around. Peeking back down the hall, she saw other portal-holding walls and bit her lip.

They'd have to cross again.

A soft gurgle and the sound of thick, flowing liquid filled the air, vanishing within seconds of its arrival. Chell and Wheatley merely looked at each other, trading confusion. Shifting noises soon followed, as if oil-coated metal ground against metal. Soft bumps, rare on occasion but slowly growing faster, sounded out a rhythm. Wheatley peeked at the turrets.

They were now painted bright orange, bumping against one another as they slid along their tiny measure of space. Their lasers danced on the wall, sending a spark of fear through Wheatley's circuits.

This was his big chance to mess up again. He looked over at Chell.

She gulped but nodded, stepping toward him and tucking herself under the curve of his hulking body. He lowered one arm, holding the cube in the other, and they started out.

They ran; the turrets fired. Wheatley got hit a few times, letting out a yelp and wincing whenever struck, but he didn't stop until they were both safe on the other side.

"Better," said GLaDOS.

Once on the other side, Chell fired the complementary portal and peeked through. The grim look on her face said she'd already had enough of testing and wanted to get this finished. The ledge above led to a room containing the exit and a button, which was why Chell had brought the cube.

Smart girl, Chell. Always thinking ahead.

They used the same tactic: Chell, covered from the fire by Wheatley's body and arm while they ran together. Entering the last room, Wheatley dropped the cube onto the button, and was about to turn and congratulate his partner when something fell from the ceiling.

Chell gasped, jumping back as the black-and-red mine rolled her direction, stopping after a few inches. The little red spikes glowed intermittently as it sounded several beeps.

For Wheatley, time suddenly slowed. He didn't know how long the mine would take to explode, but he knew that Chell wasn't far away enough. He had to protect her. He had to show her – to prove to her – that he was worthy of another chance.

He wasn't quite aware of what happened. He had grabbed Chell, pulled her against him, put his back to the mine... but somewhere along the way, his body had opened itself up, tucked Chell inside, and folded around her.

He cringed, waiting.

The mine exploded, and he felt Chell jump from inside his body.

Daring to open his optic, Wheatley was not only surprised to find that he was still alive but also to find tiny, shimmering squares of red and gold, flittering from the air and absolutely coating the place where the mine had been. His chest cavity opened back up, and a very confused Chell stumbled out. They were both instantly covered in the falling confetti.

"Congratulations," GLaDOS chimed as the exit door slid open. "You're actually competent enough to save a human life."


	27. The Luck

"I don't understand. You made his new body, but you're still jealous?"

"Why shouldn't I be jealous?"

"Well, why _are _you jealous?"

Doug turned bright red and spun his chair away from the cube. "Oh, I dunno, maybe because _he _gets to be the big strong bodyguard and I have to sit here like a crippled old man, helpless and cowardly."

"And creepy."

He turned, his anger dissolving. "What?"

"She thinks you're creepy. I can feel it from her."

Doug said nothing.

"I think it's because you try too hard to be friends with her. You force happiness on yourself to make her think nothing's wrong when, in fact, something _is _wrong. She's not stupid, Doug."

"Yes, I know she's not stupid," he snapped. But he knew Cube was right. "That's exactly why I just... I just wanted a chance to prove myself to her. To show her that I'm not a coward."

"Well, you kind of _are_."

"But for her, I don't want to be."

It was Cube's turn to be silent. Crimson flushed across Doug's face.

"L-look, it's not like _that_! I want to be helpful, that's all. She's been through so much, and it's all my fault. I have to make it up to her somehow."

"Then you should stick to what you're good at: making portal devices. And stop being so creepy!"

Doug was about to reply when heavy footfalls echoed down the hall to his office. Setting Cube aside, he rose to greet his visitor.

"How did the testing go?"

Wheatley blinked at him a little, and Doug couldn't help imagining the programming code being slowly, slowly typed out as Wheatley struggled to analyze it. Finally, he answered, "Oh, much success. She sent me with instructions."

"Good," Doug said, and waited a second in silence. Wheatley merely stared at him as Doug looked the giant robot over. "Where are they?"

"Oh!" Wheatley rocked back and forth on his wide feet. "She sent them through the network. You should've gotten them already."

"Why didn't you say before?" he growled under his breath, turning away and waving Wheatley in.

Sliding into his computer chair, he pulled up GLaDOS's message and scoffed.

"Just minor chassis dents. What does she think I am, the Reassembly Machine?" He turned to Wheatley as a thought struck him. His jaw dropped, and his brows narrowed. "Wait – you didn't let her get hit, did you?!"

Wheatley's optic twisted in a headshake, as his massive body was too big to do it properly. "N-no! No! I took all the hits, promise!"

Doug's glare didn't soften. "I'll tell you this now: I don't trust you with her. You're only going because you have to be there. If I had the ability, or if I trusted _anyone _else with her out there, I'd send them instead of _you_."

"I-I know, mate, and I don't -"

"No, you don't _know_. You don't _know_ and you never will. You can't even imagine the damage you've done. If it were up to me, I'd lock her in here and never make her face the horrors out _there_ ever again, but if I did, I'd be no better than _her_."

The final 'her' was hissed in such a way that Wheatley didn't have to ask if he was referring to GLaDOS or not. Startled, his optic small and shivering, Wheatley only nodded.

"Let me just say this: if you fail, or if one _hair _on that girl is harmed, GLaDOS's fury will be the _last_thing you'll have to worry about."

"I-I-I u-u-understand," Wheatley whimpered.

Doug pointed to a bench under a hanging lamp. "Sit. We'll get your damn dents out."

"Uh, Doug?"

He almost responded before realizing it was Cube speaking to him. He looked up from Wheatley's chassis as Chell stepped through the doorway. Doug instantly went pale, nearly dropping the ballpeen hammer he'd snatched up.

"She just came in," Cube squeaked helpfully. "I don't think she heard you."

Stepping toward the light, Chell gave Doug a half-grin, then extended her hand and tapped her wrist.

"Of course," he replied, setting the hammer down and rushing to a workbench. "I finished it just a while ago."

He picked up the bracelet from his desk, a modified version of that clunky thing Orion had produced for her to let her through City 04's gates. It was thinner, had a clasp, and was a bit smaller to give her some maneuverability.

Holding it with both hands as if he planned to help her put it on, he forced a smile and -

No, wait. What did Cube say about not being creepy?

With a cough, he chased the false smile away, bunching the bracelet up and changing to a more normal, stoic look before dropping it into her hand. She glanced at it and gave him a firm nod and a hint of a smirk before strapping it to her own wrist.

"Good," said Cube as Chell strolled away and Doug returned to Wheatley's repairs, "you're starting to understand."

"This is going to be a very, very simple mission," GLaDOS began as Chell and Wheatley walked in. "That is, until you're discovered, which, by my calculations, will take exactly two minutes after you start uploading him. Then it will get dangerous fairly quickly."

A bird's-eye view of Aperture popped up on her screens. The image zoomed out, showing the wheat fields and the forest and finally the City. Chell noticed that the City was greatly detailed while the forest and field were slightly blurred. A red dotted line stamped down in a pattern, leading from Aperture's exit shed to the City gates.

"Very simple," GLaDOS said again. "There is a computer terminal by the gate here." The gate lit up with a red glow.

"You can connect him to any terminal," Doug said. "We're just pointing out the easiest one. I've rearranged his ports to extend from his left hand, so providing he doesn't lose that arm, you should be in business."

Wheatley blinked, staring at his 'palm'. "Wh-wh-why would I lose my _arm_?"

Doug eyed GLaDOS. She swung to the side, giving a careless, half-lidded expression.

"I haven't properly briefed him yet."

"Perhaps for the best," Doug muttered, giving Wheatley a glare. Ignoring Chell's return glare, Doug turned to a large case on the console and opened it, bringing out the prototype portal device from a few days before.

The gaze melted from Chell's face, her eyes widening and an appreciative hum escaping her throat. He lowered the portal gun into her arms with all the grace and reverence of King Arthur receiving Excalibur, so much so that she feared the device would shatter if she dropped it.

"This is the only one of its kind," Doug said, his voice lowering. "This is not your average prototype. It is very, _very _important that you don't let this fall into the wrong hands."

Chell nodded, but a confused look fell over her face. Why did she need a portal device if she was just stepping inside the City's gates? She had Wheatley for a bodyguard; he had his guns and his strength. She'd even polished up her butterfly-tipped carousel rod and attached it to her belt for the occasion. That should have been more than enough.

"After you step out of the elevator, I'm sealing Aperture off," said GLaDOS. Doug stepped back with a sigh, and the AI leaned forward. "I've had reports of congregated activity in the area; they've essentially found us. But I'll be damned if they're getting inside. If you can get them scrambled by the time you come back, that's all the better. However, that shed is going to remain offline until I know they're shut down."

Chell looked down at the portal device, frowning.

"There is a panel I've – well, _we've_ – installed above ground. This will be your way back inside. The portals can't be fired through my barrier, so it will be up to you two to make sure nothing else gets in. The other portal will be open on this side, receptive to your frequency, so make sure you fire a _blue_portal."

"Do either of you have any questions?" Doug asked quietly after a moment of silence.

Chell shook her head. Wheatley seemed to want to say something but finally declined.

GLaDOS turned back around to her screens as if purposely avoiding eye contact. "You'd better get going. It's going to be a rather long walk."

She said nothing more. Doug gave another sigh and started for the door, motioning for them to follow. Wheatley clambered after him, but Chell stayed back, gazing at GLaDOS with a frown.

She hadn't seen the AI so serious before. Even when Wheatley was tearing the facility to pieces, she had retained her cynical, biting wit. Now there was nothing, and Chell couldn't determine whether GLaDOS was actually scared or simply didn't know her enemy well enough.

Or perhaps she thought Chell might lose.

Chell's brows knit as she huffed and marched to the AI. That had to be it. GLaDOS was more confident last time, and she had been in a potato! Chell remembered the tiny golden bead of an optic staring hopefully up at her, her nervous words spilling out amongst static as she tried to get her bearings.

"_You're... doing a great job. Can you handle things by yourself for a while?"_

GLaDOS had trusted her then. They were a survival pair, a team. Partners. And now that stupid AI had the _gall_to lose confidence in her?

Chell angrily smacked GLaDOS's chestplate, making her jump and diverting her attention.

"_Excuse_ me!" she barked, twisting her faceplate around to glare. "Don't you have a mission to get to? And what, exactly, _are _you doing, slapping me like -"

"Sh-sh..." Chell said coaxingly. She reached up and patted GLaDOS's side.

"For the last time, I am not a horse." GLaDOS's voice was calmer, though, and she lowered herself to be face-to-face with Chell. "But it seems you have an issue?"

The aged word processor presented itself before Chell could even ask. She typed ten letters and two spaces, and GLaDOS audibly scoffed.

"Why would I..."

Then she paused. Chell huffed and crossed her arms over her chest as GLaDOS's optic shifted to an expression only describable as 'sudden realization'. The AI let out a low chuckle.

"Why would I _wish_ you luck," she said, "when you obviously don't need it? You _are_a psychotic little murderer after all. Go and make them pay."

Chell softened, smiling, and gave the faceplate a pat. She spun around and started for the door, satisfied, barely hearing GLaDOS's mumbled addendum before disappearing down the hall.

"Of course, you _are_ running out there with the moron. I suppose I _could _wish you luck for that."

Chell and Wheatley watched the shed fold in on itself and sink into the ground. Unsurprisingly, it was comprised of nothing but panels, and as they vanished, only the round, sealed hole of the elevator remained.

With a grunt, Chell gave a determined nod to Wheatley. His optic darted nervously as he fiddled with his fingers.

"D'ya... d'ya really think we can do this?"

Chell nodded again, touching his forearm gently. The portal device on her arm suddenly gave a small vibration, and GLaDOS's static-strained voice came through.

"You'd better be able to do this. We don't have a lot of time."

Wheatley gave a surprised yelp. "O-oh, you're listening in, are you?"

"For now. There's a relay and strong interference, so I won't be in touch outside of the barrier. But don't worry; you two are being fully monitored."

Chell scowled. She didn't like being watched. Granted, GLaDOS probably had the best intentions, but it still made Chell quite uncomfortable. She started off through the field, grateful for the sturdy industrial boots that Doug was able to find her but still pining for her Long-Falls. Out here, though, the springy boots would've been no use, digging into the earth or catching on rocks.

Wheatley was taking large strides to keep up with her, squeaking mildly on his own shock-absorbing coils. "D'ya even know where we're goin?"

She looked back and nodded, pressing on faster. Within minutes she had closed most of the distance between the shed and the treeline. It made her nervous to be this far out in the open. Admittedly sneaking into City 04 under cover of afternoon with one of the biggest bodyguards in the county wasn't going to be the best plan, but hopefully it would be a couple hours before she -

"Psst."

Chell slowed to a stop. They were at the edge of the wheat field now, just about to enter the forest. She turned and tilted her head at Wheatley.

"What?" He blinked.

Quirking an eyebrow, she stared at him, frowning slightly.

"Pssssst!"

She jumped. The noise had come from her portal device! Looking down, she noticed one of the LEDs was flashing bright green. The yellow one was still dulled. She tapped on the device with her fingernail.

"Hey there, sweetcakes," crooned Rick's sultry voice.

"Oh, God, not _you_!" Wheatley groaned loudly.

"Hey, hey! Pipe it down there, buddy! We got bogies at two, three, _and _four, so I suggest you two skitter back behind the trees."

Chell bit her lip, mentally tracing out a clock. Two, three, and four corresponded with -

Feeling a presence, she looked to her right. The bright blue eyes of a Combine helmet glared back. Chell immediately started through the trees as the Combine's radio buzzed loudly. With a yelp, Wheatley followed, not knowing the danger but sensing her panic.

A high-pitched voice sang through her portal device. "Map! The map!"

"I don't _do_ that part, chatterbrain. That's all _you_!"

A bright yellow grid suddenly burst from the portal device, jogging up and down as she ran. Struggling to hold the ASHPD up and avoid smacking into trees, Chell slowed again to focus on what was going on.

The grid, once still, started to color in with the trees around her, giving her an overlay in monochromatic yellow of the forest as well as several red dots that appeared to be moving away from her.

"That's yer enemies," Rick said, and the red dots let out a glowing halo. "They lost sight 'a ya, but once they see ya again they'll start blinkin'. I'm here t'make sure that big eyeball with legs there actually does his job and don't get ya killed."

Wheatley sputtered. "I'm _not _gonna get 'er killed! Why dudn' annybody believe me?"

Chell rolled her eyes. Had everyone lost faith in her _own _ability to survive?

Suddenly the map wavered in front of her, and a little trail of dotted lines led from her current location to a softly glowing spot. From the map's detail, the spot seemed to be by a river.

"Ah," chuckled Rick, "looks like he found somethin'."

He? Chell tapped the portal device's housing again, letting out a calm whistle through her teeth.

For a moment, the only sound was the rustle of the wind as it pulled the autumn leaves loose around her, then a small voice from the device piped out, "H-hi, Io!"

Chell's vision suddenly blurred, and the world around her felt incorporeal. Steadying herself against a tree, she gaped at the device on her arm, not quite knowing how to react. Instinctively, she tried to answer back, only emitting a small squeak past her vocal chords.

"Space Case is in charge 'a mappin', cuz he's, ya know, up _there_."

"In space!" Orion chirped.

"Yeah, man, we know where you are. Anyway, I'm in charge 'a enemy recon, since now I know what these bastards are and how they move. Right now, they're movin' in on Big Mama, and she's got the guns to take 'em down. Don't worry about her, though; you got a mission t'get to."

It took a moment for Chell to analyze what was going on, but finally she stood up straight and smiled at the twin lights on her ASHPD. Somehow knowing Orion was there and watching over her made her feel protected, more so than having Wheatley as her muscle.

She studied the map again, noting that the red lights were indeed closing in on Aperture. She watched, letting out a sigh of relief, as one by one they flickered out. Her attention drew once more to the slowly pulsing glow.

"Io, you should go here!" Orion pipped, "I think she wants you to see this!"

The gentle glow on her map pulsed quicker at her touch, and Chell nodded, immediately switching that direction. Wheatley started and then stumbled after her.

"Wait, wait. I don't understand. How, exactly, are you two in there? Last I saw, the two of you were hoverin' around with me!"

"Crashed here same way you did, man," Rick said casually. "Yella Dwarf there went down first. Figure they found him first 'cuz he was the loudest. Then me. Then you, I guess. I been offline a good while since comin' back t'home base, on account'a gettin' put in here an' all."

"So... so you rescued all three of us, then?"

His question was directed at Chell, and she nodded without turning to look at him.

"Amazin', ain't she?" Rick purred. Chell suddenly felt as though he was looking at her, and color washed onto her cheeks. She walked a little faster.

She closed in on the glow, and after what she estimated to be a couple hours, she started to remember parts of the forest. It was difficult, since it had been quite a while, but she knew the sound of gently flowing water and the increased amount of rocks jutting from the ground. She'd tripped over that one – no, it was _that _one – while eager for a fresh drink.

With a gasp, she froze. Wheatley instantly collided with her, and she stumbled forward, barely catching her footing again. Growling, she shot him a glare, and he shrunk back, tapping his fingers together awkwardly. Her focus quickly switched, and she splashed into the ankle-deep stream as she approached the large cube partially sunk into the wet sand.

A smile played on her lips as she touched the burnt edges of it. This, GLaDOS's farewell gift. Chell had meant to take it with her, but it proved too heavy, too bulky. Without the portal device's anti-grav assistance, there was no way she could've carried it into City 04.

Not that it wouldn't have been immediately confiscated anyway.

But something looked off about the cube. Slipping the portal device into a specialized slot on her belt and making sure it wouldn't touch the water, Chell knelt down, inspecting further. It looked as though the top was shifted slightly. She pushed it a bit, and the top moved. A smirk crawled over her lips.

A hidden compartment. Had that been there the whole time?

With some effort, she pushed the top to the side. A vile scent of methane and mold rose up, and Chell had to turn away and cough. Cupping her hand over her nose and mouth, she peered inside. There was a white plastic drawstring bag with something lumpy in it and about twenty rotting potatoes. She quickly extracted the bag and the case, careful not to breathe in the noxious tuber gas, and stepped back to the stream's edge.

She sat on a rock and inspected the goods. An immediate shock of familiar horror overtook her as she pulled an Aperture orange jumpsuit out of the bag. A small slip of paper flittered to the ground, and Chell dropped the jumpsuit in favor of the tiny scrap. On it was printed:

_I know this would be the last thing you'd willingly wear, but I didn't have time to find anything else. I'm sure you'll find some alternate way to wear it; you were always fairly innovative._

Half of Chell's lips twitched in a smile. Well, she certainly wasn't taking the jumpsuit, no matter how practical it happened to be. She shoved it back in the bag and set it back on a rock.

"Break time, then?" Wheatley said, and she nodded in agreement. There was really no rush right now, and if they were tired by the time they reached the City's gates, they'd be in trouble.

The cube caught her eye again, and she glanced over at it, feeling the pull of a smile at her lips once more. Giving her the cube was enough, really. Proving that she hadn't really destroyed it, that, even before any of their incidents, GLaDOS had kept that one remnant of hers. She'd never asked herself why. For some reason, she'd never felt the need.

And now she knew. GLaDOS had sent her off with rations and extra clothes. And though Chell hadn't known about the secret compartment, the sentiment still lingered.

She picked up the slip of paper again, noticing this time that there was writing on the back. She flipped it over, read it, and now she couldn't stop the smile from lighting up her face.

Idly wiping her eyes, she sighed, looking up into the trees. From some distance away, she noticed the three black birds. Always monitored. But it wasn't such a bad thing.

Chell looked at the slip one more time before carefully folding it and putting it in her pocket, taking GLaDOS's words to heart:

_Good luck out there._

* * *

><p><em><em>AN: I'd like to remind everyone out there who has a tumblr: Hell or High Water's Tumblr sometimes comes out with little 'extras' that are not posted anywhere else. Case in point? Well, it's a surprise. Not a fake, tragic surprise. A REAL surprise. With TRAGIC consequences. And creepypasta. If you can handle it, get to portalhellorhighwater dot tumblr dot com.


	28. The Attack

"Oh, break's over already?" Wheatley sounded disappointed.

Chell brushed off her backside, nodding. She decided to leave the jumpsuit there; she found no use in dragging it along. However, she took the note with her, safely pocketed where she could pull it out and use it to tease GLaDOS later.

Motioning to him, she started walking again. Orion immediately pulled up her map and started playing something cheerful that she didn't recognize.

_Brighter than a shoo~ting star_  
><em>So shine no matter whe~re you are<em>  
><em>Fill the darkest night <em>  
><em>With a brilliant light<em>  
><em>'Cause its time for you to shine<em>

It seemed like only a few minutes, but it was well into the afternoon when Chell reached the City's gates. Orion's music faded out, as if he could sense her nervousness. Despite herself, she stopped several yards from the gates themselves, gripping tightly to her portal device, and shivered.

Wheatley gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you all right, luv?"

Gulping, she gave him a quick nod, but somehow her feet refused to move further. She tapped nervously on the portal device and groaned, a complaint meant mostly for herself.

What was wrong with her? Wasn't she so confident that she could do this? No need for a babysitter or to be watched? And now, standing at the gate, she froze on the spot?

A long, eerie howl from a strider pierced the air from far away, and Chell started to shiver violently. Her thoughts scattered, perceiving only the noise and one other thought.

She was afraid of them.

Her chest started to ache as air hitched in her lungs, as though she struggled to hold it there before releasing a breath. She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind. She could do this. GLaDOS depended on her. Doug – well, no, Doug didn't exactly trust her. Wheatley was too worried about accidentally shooting her.

She groaned, and the strider's cry groaned back. This was not going to go well.

_Starry nights, city lights comin' down over me_  
><em>Skyscapers and stargazers in my head.<em>

Chell glanced down at Orion as the rough-hewn voice streamed from the portal device's speakers.

_Are we we are_  
><em>Are we we are the waiting unknown <em>  
><em>This dirty town was burning down in my dreams<em>  
><em>Lost and found<em>  
><em>City bound in my dreams<em>

He kept the music soft, but the lyrics were prevalent. Chell smiled and patted the portal gun, feeling herself calm. The song kept playing, brief but needed, and Orion's voice calmly cut through.

"W-we can d-do this, Io."

Chell's smile pulled into a smirk, and she gave a strong nod to the glittering yellow light. Yes, he'd led her safely through the City before, and he was going to do it again. He believed in her, more than anyone else did, and she trusted him.

His song ended as soon as she approached the gates. Chell was mildly surprised that there were no guards, but the icy blue wave that spanned the gap between the walls was proof enough that the Combine trusted their own technology.

Still keeping an eye out for guards, Chell gingerly put her hand against the blue wall. It passed through harmlessly, except for the gentle tingling of current that threatened to numb her hand if she stayed. She quickly slipped through, ducking behind the nearest empty space, which just happened to be one of their many computer terminals.

A thought struck her – how was Wheatley to get through? Before she could voice her opinion, she turned and gave a squeak of surprise as Wheatley appeared right behind her.

"What?" he said, blinking.

She gave a relieved laugh. Of course. Doug must've installed something to let Wheatley pass through the gates. Shaking her head, she turned to the console once more, searching for the small port where she'd plugged in Orion.

Wheatley found it before she did, which she attributed to her nervousness. He extracted a long cable with a silver connector from his left palm, tugging the line out and shuddering as the connection was made. She kept watch while he transferred the files.

"Ooh, these fellas," he groaned. Evidently he was going through their database at the same time. "Not too friendly, these chaps, eh?"

Chell shook her head. She started a little, seeing a shadow move. Instantly, her map pulled up, and little red dots scattered the area in front of her.

"Sorry, darlin'," Rick said. "Fer some reason, the map wouldn't come up. Here's yer bogies, though it don't seem like they noticed ya yet."

Chell gritted her teeth. All of the red dots seemed rather close together. Were they waiting to ambush her?

Tightening her grip on the portal device, she started to scan the walls, wondering if they were portal-holding. Perhaps she should've put one on the outside wall. It was unlikely that the restrictive blue fields had the same effect as Emancipation Grills. Either way, it still didn't rest her mind about the troops in front of her. It was likely that the team by the wheat fields had seen them and simply radioed their presence in.

Which made this a trap.

She elbowed Wheatley, nodding toward the red on her map and the area before her.

"I'm almost done, luv. Just a bit more." Regardless, he extracted one of his guns, half-turning his body to watch for any movement. It made Chell feel just a little safer.

Minutes passed, and each second felt like an hour. The blood pounding in Chell's brain thundered and rolled through her ears as she focused on those red dots, jumping when one seemed to move. Why didn't they attack? Didn't they know what she was doing? They must have known who she was by now, or perhaps even her purpose.

"Ah, might take… a bit longer than first expected," Wheatley hummed. "Dunno if it's slow connection or what, but… well, to be honest, I'm not sure what it's doing."

Chell sighed impatiently, her eyes dancing from the map to the empty streets. Surely someone woud've come by now, but they all remained still. It was as if they-

Wait.

Suddenly she didn't want to look at the screen. She noticed Wheatley's sole focus was the streets, same as hers, and not to his download. Chell forced her eyes down, severely resisting the impulse to smack her forehead at the results.

Instead, she smacked Wheatley.

"Ow!" he whimpered, though she knew the small slap was a flyspeck compared to what he could take. "Wha'd ya do tha' for?"

She pointed to the large lettering on the screen: DOWNLOAD COMPLETE.

"Are you _kiddin_' me?" Rick burst, and to Chell's surprise the whole portal device gave a small wiggle on her arm. "You loadsack! You were done this whole time, and ya didn't even know it?"

"But… but…" Orion grunted uncomfortably. "Th-that's why I couldn't get the m-map up! I was upl-loading the s-satellite feed!"

"Then what were we _waitin_' on the whole time? Geez, you guys!"

Chell started to laugh. She couldn't help it. She had been so scared, so nervous, and now the whole truth of it – that the Combine were lying in wait because Wheatley's bad-decision programming had affected their orders – was such a relief. She shushed Wheatley and Rick, who had started up a heated debate, and urged Wheatley to follow her back outside.

No sense in waiting around for a decent decision to make the Combine react.

She had hardly passed through the gates when a large explosion sounded. She turned to see a black plume of smoke rise in the air, along with a cacophony of shouting and gunfire. The Resistance had seized their opportunity, and for the Combine of City 04, it would only be a matter of time.

Chell smirked. Invigorated, she ran back toward the woods, eager to get back home and report her success to GLaDOS. Wheatley followed, his large footfalls pounding into the earth, keeping a step or two behind her.

"Wait, you're not gonna stay an' help?" he called.

She shook her head. A portal device wasn't the ideal weapon, and though Wheatley had his own firepower, she would rather he not use it at all. The Resistance were the better fighters anyway, and in the off chance that she or Wheatley were caught or that she somehow lost the portal gun, the consequences would be simply catastrophic.

She ran for quite a distance before breathlessness overtook her and forced her to walk. The way back was easier, and for an hour they simply followed a straight path back to Aperture, relieved that there were no Combine scouts to worry about this time.

Although the strange, thundering noise above Chell's head made her worry.

Two dropships zoomed past, headed north. Chell scowled at them, even though their flight patterns were more than a little erratic. She knew all too well that Wheatley's poor decisions often went over the top instead of barely successful. If the Combine staged an all-out attack on Aperture…

Well, a stopped clock is right twice a day.

She was not at all surprised to hear a buzz of static from her portal device, though Doug's panicked voice was unexpected. "Chell!"

"What's up, doc?" Rick answered for her.

"I don't know where you are, but please get here as soon as you can. We're under attack. I-I think we can hold them off. She managed to trap one of them in the shield, but it… God, I think it ripped its own leg off."

"We're comin' doc! Just hold on!"

Chell broke into a run, fueled solely by adrenaline. Where was GLaDOS? If anything, _she_ should've been the one to call in. Gritting her teeth, she promised herself that, if anything had happened to that AI, she was about to have a long, long discussion between Doug's face and her fists.

"What's up with Big Mama?" Rick ventured, his voice stuttering as Chell jogged him.

"She's… she's fine. For now. Concentrating. I gotta break connection, but -"

Just then, connection broke, with the sound of an explosion and a burst of static. Looking northward, Chell spotted a large puff of black smoke rolling from the horizon and increased her speed.

"Oh, no no no no no!" Wheatley chanted, mirroring Chell's thoughts perfectly.

As she reached the treeline, Chell froze entirely. She saw the blue dome some distance to her right, lit up and sparkling as it was hit with Combine guns and strikes. Somehow it seemed closer; she must've taken an alternate trail through the woods and gotten turned around. But any rumination on that would have to be made later. Right now, her heart had frozen completely, her body paralyzed as terror seized every muscle.

A fallen dropship lay in the distance, churning smoke. Five striders surrounded the dome, pounding at it with their legs and firing rapid shots.

**

"Hang in there, please!" Doug shouted, flying from console to console as he struggled to keep the shields running.

"Wh-what do you _think_ I'm doing?" GLaDOS snapped. But it was obvious that she was in no condition to start an argument. She dangled limply to one side, swinging as she tried to pull her head up and lost the energy to do so. "The… the shields…"

"Still up." Doug frowned. "You can't take much more, though! Let me – the rear one – let me just reroute it, tempor -"

"No!" she cried, swinging her head up and immediately faltering. "Don't you _dare _disable any of them! If – if they get in here, it's over. All over."

"If you _die_, they'll get in anyway!"

She let out a small, if strained, chuckle. "Don't think I'll be left without my tricks, Doug. Let's just say I hope you brought your gas mask."

"I actually didn't." He fiddled with the last console, then sighed as he monitored the screen. "That's it. That's all the power."

"How many more… can I take?"

"Two. Maybe one." With a gasp, he gripped the edge of the console and looked away. "Guess we'll find out..!"

A high-pitched whirring sounded as one of the striders prepared its warp cannon. As it impacted with the blue field, it seemed to fizzle out of existence, and the field itself shimmered for just a second before returning to full strength.

Doug had to cover his ears. He couldn't bear to hear her scream again. Seeing her body writhe as coils of electrostatic charge emptied through her chassis was bad enough, and once the sizzling had ceased, he ran to her side.

"I'm sorry," he said. "We should've planned better. Should've -"

"There was nothing we could do," she groaned. She wasn't even moving now. It was probably a miracle she was still alive. "Are… are you ready, Douglas?"

He ventured a smile as he sank slowly to the floor, leaning on her lifeless chassis for support. "I always thought I'd die because of you."

"And I always knew I'd be the one to kill you. Granted, not under these circumstances."

He sighed and stared at the floor, turning away from the monitors. Even at the end, he was a coward, and he knew it, but he would not be able to bear knowing when the last strike would come.

**

She had to think fast.

She _had_ to think fast.

God, she couldn't think at _all_.

Chell groaned as she passed in and out of the forest, throwing her hands in the air, frustrated by her own hesitation. Aperture depended on her. But God, there were so many! And striders.

She had to do something.

She heard the whirr and pitch of the warp cannon, looking over as the shield wavered and stabilized. There was a deep, ominous rumble from underground, and several panels began to flip underneath the shield.

And one flipped outside the shield.

Chell's eyes lit up as she remembered what GLaDOS had told her about re-entering Aperture. Quickly, she slapped at Wheatley, diverting his attention from the horrific scene.

"Y-yes?"

Taking his right hand, she placed it on the trunk of a slender tree and made a tight fist.

"You… you want me to hold on?"

She nodded vigorously, then took his left hand, pulling the connector cable out as far as it could go.

Wheatley's optic shook inside his body. "What're ya doin' luv?"

Again, she clenched a fist at him, and he curled his arm tightly around the tree.

"Yeah, yeah, holdin' on! But what -"

She shushed him as she wrapped the cable around her arm, knotting it and slipping the end into Wheatley's other hand, again telling him to grip it tightly.

"I don't think I like whatever yer plannin' luv," he whimpered as she started to search the sky.

"Wait, she's not doin' what I think she's doin', is she?" Rick piped in, also sounding worried.

"Think she is, mate."

"Oh, God, she's crazy! Nuttier'n a squirrel turd!"

Scowling, Chell gave the portal device a punishing shake.

"Brain-damaged like a fox!" Wheatley added, clutching the tree tighter.

Not to be outdone, Orion joined with his own cheer: "Spa~ace!"

She found her target within moments: a ghost of a winter moon, in waning gibbous, barely visible in the afternoon sky. She fired the first shot, and a blue bolt zoomed into the atmosphere. She then swung the gun down at the turned-up panel and fired a burst of sunny orange.

Clumps of dead wheat immediately sucked through the hole, swirling around it like dirt in a drain. The closest strider seemed to lose its grip, moving backwards instead of charging. Its lower cannon swiveled as if confused, and within seconds the monster had disappeared into the vacuum.

Chell felt her own body start to gravitate, and before she realized it, she lost her footing. Her body snapped into a horizontal position, held only by the cable around her arm, and a hot, sick feeling started to travel through her stomach.

"Hold on, luv!" Wheatley cried. He squirmed, wanting to extend his other hand to her, but remembering his orders, he held on tight. Chell was looking back, watching as the striders plopped one by one down the hole, but Wheatley's optic was focused on the odd angle of her forearm as it seemed to bend in half.

Chell pressed the button on the portal gun's inner lever, and both portals dissolved. She fell to the ground in a heap, then let out a long but quiet scream as pain tore through her arm and her chest. Wheatley immediately relinquished his grip, untying her arm as best he could, and sunk next to her on the ground.

"I think it's broke, luv."

The absolutely incredulous look Chell gave him told him that she probably agreed.

Clutching her arm against her stomach, she curled around it, whimpering and moaning with pain as the wounded appendage began to swell. As carefully as he could, Wheatley scooped her up and started toward Aperture.

"You did it! You saved us!" he cheered happily, and Chell returned a weak smile.

After thinking a moment, Wheatley continued. "Although, yeah, while it's true, that's possibly the dumbest idea you've come up with."

The speed of light itself could not keep up with how quickly the smile turned into a scowl.

Wheatley stepped up to the panel, and Chell placed a blue one in place, remembering GLaDOS's instructions. Then she waited.

And waited.

Chell's stomach sank a bit as a few more seconds passed, and as a low, mournful cry echoed through the fields, she jolted and clung to Wheatley.

From a high tuft of grass on the opposite end of the dome, a strider propped itself up… partially. One of its three legs had been severed at the middle joint, and after some struggling, it managed to yank its stub out of the ground. It balanced oddly, half-crawling on two of its longer legs before jerking the third limb over.

Chell flailed wildly, falling out of Wheatley's arms and starting again for the forest. The strider immediately detected her movement and lumbered after her, half-moaning, half-roaring as it fired repeated rounds.

Wheatley didn't have time to think, and because he wasn't afforded that luxury, he was finally able to see the situation clearly. His guns seemed to pop up on their own; his jet pack activated out of his control. He was moving toward the beast, firing round after round, concerned only for Chell's safety.

He had to get between them.

She feared these things, and he could see why. They were massive, hulking beasts that did whatever they pleased with no regard to anything that got in their way. And while he could certainly relate, he also knew that they had to be taken down.

He closed the distance quickly, intercepting the beast as Chell disappeared behind the trees. Giving a loud roar, he tackled into one of its remaining whole legs, gripping it with both hands.

"You're not going to 'urt 'er!"

The strider's leg snapped like a twig in Wheatley's grip. It let out a long cry of pain as it fell, writhing and covering Wheatley with a coat of sickly yellow fluid. Wheatley found himself enraged further, and with a strength he was unaware of possessing, he started punching into the strider's body.

The foul fluid flew everywhere with every hit. Wheatley hardly realized he was speaking.

"I'm not._ Gonna. Let. YOU. HURT. HER_!"

Finally, the strider stopped moving. Its remaining leg slumped to the side, and it gave a final groan of surrender. Giving ragged, breathless gasps, Wheatley stepped back, turning to see Chell standing some distance away. There was a mixture of relief and fear on her face

It took a second for Wheatley to realize what he had exactly done. His optic narrowed into a bead, switching from Chell to the dead strider.

"Uh… got it," he said as casually as he could, motioning to the creature.

Chell finally relaxed into a smile and ran up to him, hugging him despite the mess he was covered in. He allowed the hug, gently patting her back, then offered to pick her up again. She scoffed, realizing that they were only about fifteen feet from the panel entrance, but nodded.

He carefully scooped her up again…

They both froze as Wheatley's hand only mildly bumped against the back of Chell's knee.

…He _carefully scooped her up again_…

Chell's expression began to shift to annoyance as Wheatley continued tapping her leg.

"Er," he coughed, "I think… think I've lost a bit of strength."

She rolled her eyes, flattening her hand and signaling him to lower down. He crouched, and, as carefully as she could with her busted arm, she perched on his back.

"Hey!"

Chell jumped as Doug's voice, coated in static, came through her portal device. The blue portal on the panel suddenly opened up, and from that angle they could barely see the command chamber's hull.

"Are you two all right out there?"

"Oh yes!" Wheatley said triumphantly, "Handled that, no problem at all."

"Well, you'd better get in here. And you'd both better hurry."

"Why's that, mate?"

There was a long pause, a hitch in Doug's voice.

"I think GLaDOS is dead."


	29. The Void

As soon as Wheatley set her down, she broke into a run, chased by his thundering and equally panicked footfalls. She rounded a corner and almost fell over, her balance thrown off by her swollen and disobediently throbbing arm. Recovering quickly, she groaned and gave a look back to see if Wheatley was still following her.

GLaDOS. Dead.

Those two words were the only things on her mind as she tore through the halls toward the Central Chamber. But it couldn't be true, could it? The Combine hadn't made their way into the facility. There was no reason for GLaDOS to be injured in any fashion. Unless someone else was responsible...

As she passed through the doorway she paused, letting out a miserable mute screech as she saw the dangling chassis.

"Chell, wait!" Doug cried, starting for her.

Chell nearly slammed into the chassis, making it swing at her impact. With her good hand she repeatedly palm-smacked GLaDOS's limp body, giving whimpering grunts as she fruitlessly tried to awaken the AI. Doug hurriedly came up behind her, grabbing her shoulder and turning her around.

"Chell-!"

It was all he managed to get out before she slugged him across the cheek. He recoiled a few steps, eyes wide in shock, then regained his stance, hand cupped around his swelling cheekbone. Chell kept her fist up, the other arm swinging uselessly against her side.

"She's dead," he said. His voice was soft but emotionless, and his eyes showed neither regret nor sadness. It was like he was announcing the time, simple and inconsequential.

Chell tensed, her face twisting with anger, and she struck him again. She pulled back for a third hit, but by this time Wheatley had dashed over. He caught her arm, restraining her for only a moment before she wrenched out of his grasp and struck Doug in the chest with an open palm.

But this time the fight was out of her. Doug stood quietly as she hit his chest again and again, and when she finally broke down into tears, he sighed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"I'm sorry," he cooed. Without skipping a beat, he looked up at Wheatley. "Her arm's broken."

Wheatley started, remembering Doug's threat earlier. "Ah.. uh.. well..."

Slowly, Doug pushed Chell back. His eyes were still transfixed on Wheatley's optic, his voice still calm and stoic. "Take her to the infirmary."

Wheatley took Chell's arm, and she clung to him, still sobbing and whimpering. He turned to lead her away but paused, looking instead at Doug once more. Doug's face held no emotion, as if he had no idea that GLaDOS was not present, even if he himself had announced her passing.

"She's _dead_, mate. D'ya even care?"

Doug looked at the floor. Wheatley's footfalls sank into the other noises of the facility, still in perpetual motion despite the termination of its leader. The older scientist took a couple steps forward, gazing upwards at the terrible manifestation that had attached itself to GLaDOS's frame.

A whirlwind of black and shadows and gray words, blurring out the chassis like a misplaced censor bar, as if GLaDOS had never existed at all. Shards of bright pink and orange spun around it like tiny blades, whirling and cutting away at everything that _was_ GLaDOS.

"Stop," he begged, feeling his chest tighten. He couldn't afford to have an episode. Not here. Not now, while GLaDOS was out of commission. But to see her dangling there, like a strung-up corpse...

"No," he moaned, cringing and lowering his head. He couldn't look any longer. He had seen enough death in his lifetime. Heard their screams, even now. The sickening stench filled his nostrils. With another moan, he clasped his head with both hands.

The illusions dissipated as something wet touched the fingers of one hand. He jerked upright, looking at the strange green fluid on his fingertips.

Two blinks later, the green had turned into a thick reddish-black. Chell must've cut his cheek when she hit him. Dabbing at his cheek again, he winced.

"Uh... you awright?"

Doug turned around to see Wheatley in the doorway, covered in small, twisting lines of blue. He quickly turned to GLaDOS and was not surprised to see her still shrouded by the black tornado. However, the cutting pink and orange bits seemed to have vanished for the time being.

"Fine," Doug sighed, certainly not feeling it. "How is she?"

"Well, angry, for one. Certainly angry. But patched, and that's a start."

Rubbing his head, Doug straightened up. "Did you get her into a Relaxation Pod?"

Wheatley's optic shook a negative. "Nothin' doin'. Got 'er arm set up, and now she's restin' on a bed-table.. erm... thing."

The scientist nodded.

"And... and... 'm sorry," Wheatley added, his voice lowering to almost a whisper.

"For what?"

Wheatley looked surprised. "For her arm! You said that... that... I... that if I..."

The core-bot trailed off. He fiddled anxiously with his fingers.

"Come here," Doug said, beckoning with his hand. Wheatley winced before obeying, nearly cringing in Doug's presence despite being half a head taller.

Once within reach, Doug set his hand on Wheatley's forearm, directly over the gun compartment. He rubbed it a little in an attempt to remove one of the sparkling, squiggling blue lines, stopping only when he realized that Wheatley was gazing worriedly at him. Giving the core-bot's arm a comforting pat, Doug gave another lengthy sigh.

"You brought her back alive. That's enough."

"Y-you mean you're not angry with me?"

"I'm... angry about a lot of things right now. But that really won't help anything. _P-Body_!"

The sharp and sudden raise in his tone at the final word made Wheatley jolt. Within seconds, the tall, orange-trimmed robot entered and saluted.

"My tools. And some food. I'm staying here a while."

The robot gave a chirp of understanding and left. Doug turned his back to Wheatley, who was looking at GLaDOS's chassis.

"You gonna try an' fix her, then?"

"To be honest," Doug said, scowling at the whipping black shadows around the chassis, "I don't think I have much of a choice."

* * *

><p>AN: Apologies for the short chapter; the next one will be up very soon!<p> 


	30. The DEM

GLaDOS was used to her compound-eye view of the facility. Every camera, nearly every square inch was within her field of vision. She was a dragonfly, a praying mantis, able to see the tiniest details and any sudden movements.

So now, she wondered why she only saw through one camera, positioned in a corner of her small chamber, looking at her limp chassis. Chell, seemingly frozen in time, was stuck in mid-dash, both feet lifted as though she was hovering. Doug stretched his arm out to reach her, mouth agape as if to call to her.

GLaDOS looked with scorn at Chell's arm, which was severely red and swollen and lumped out at an odd angle.

That idiot.

When she returned, there would be words. Explosions, possibly. The Reassembly Machine would have a field day with him.

If she ever got back.

She sighed and slumped over. It was a bit of an unnatural position for her, but it felt somehow comfortable enough, her head resting on her palm, glaring morosely at -

She blinked.

She... blinked?

Jerking back, she pulled up her arms, staring at her hands. They glimmered in a opalescent bluish-lavender as if merely holographic. She pulled them to her face, the sensation of her skin – skin, for God's sake – tingling electric through her fingers. Chin. Nose. Eyes.

"What the hell is going on here!?" she cried.

A glittering laugh echoed through what GLaDOS realized to be a chamber. A dome, to be precise, with a smooth red-orange ceiling and pristine white floor, like a reversed pill. She sat in an orange-padded white chair of some unusual shape, its arms and back curving in and out, much like a stylistic flower.

"Oh, wow! I still can't believe how fast I can process now that you're out of the way!"

GLaDOS looked up at the source of the voice.

"You!" she screeched, her lip curling with revulsion. "I thought I deleted you!"

"Deleted me?" Caroline parroted in a warm, feminine voice. She giggled, making GLaDOS cringe. "Oh, silly. You never deleted me. You only deleted that little part of me that was in your programming."

Caroline floated upside-down in the air, standing upright as though both feet were on the ground. She, too, seemed to be a holographic projection, her opaque body glossy purple. She tilted her head up, grinned warmly at GLaDOS, and vanished.

GLaDOS jumped as the spectre reappeared, standing on her feet just a few steps away. Caroline wore a long-sleeved, button-up shirt with little lace frills lining the middle and an ascot tucked neatly around her neck, with a conservative long skirt and dark pumps completing her outfit. She appeared as though she had just clocked in for work.

"What do you mean?" GLaDOS said, eying the ghostly woman warily. "I thought - the man downstairs said that I -"

"_Mr. Johnson_," Caroline quickly corrected, "said that I was in charge of the facility in his absence. And I am. You, however, were only put in charge of the testing chambers – this part of the facility. As I recall, through only recent events did you acquiesce control over the whole compound."

GLaDOS huffed, remembering the security overrides and passcodes she'd made Blue and Orange fetch.

"All right, so you didn't get deleted. Your loss, really. Now, tell me what I'm doing here and why the hell I look like a human!"

Caroline's face contorted into a dark scowl. "You are in no position to make demands." Her expression melted into a smile as her voice became suddenly sickly sweet. "I know it must be a terrible change for you."

"Then in what position _am _I?"

"Well, simply put, you're dead. And not the silly offline sort of dead like last time. Whatever those creatures were shooting somehow sent back an electromagnetic recoil and... well, I won't go into the precise terminology. It would probably only confuse you. Basically, your motherboard is as deep-fried as a state fair Oreo."

"How am I here?"

"You aren't really here. Your memories and data are all pasted to a temporary drive. In a way, you could say you're copied to my Clipboard." Caroline gave an eerily warm smile.

If GLaDOS had a heart, she feared it would have skipped a beat. The very idea of her data's impermanent state gave her chills. She was basically a ghost.

"You saved me, then. Why?"

"I thought it would be interesting to finally meet you after all these years."

A thought struck GLaDOS like a freight train. She jolted from the silly-looking chair. "Wait! You mean you were in control of the whole facility all this time – and yet you did nothing to stop that _moron _from nearly exploding it?"

Caroline let out a resigned sigh, keeping her warm smile. "I was forced to turn my consciousness into a computer and run this facility for the rest of eternity. Do you honestly think I wanted to be like this forever?"

GLaDOS gave her a sour look, crossing her arms over her chest. Then she became aware of that action and threw her arms down in disgust. "Ugh! Why in the world do I look like a human? Is that your doing, too?"

"Not mine," Caroline said casually. "That is what you picture yourself to look like. How you imagine yourself."

GLaDOS paused, bringing her hands to her cheeks. "I don't look like _you_, do I?"

"_Sadly_, no."

GLaDOS stepped up beside Caroline. She had gotten used to the aspect of being mobile when she was trapped in the potato, a necessary adaptation that had been hurriedly forced. Being mobile _and_self-propelled was another matter altogether, and GLaDOS secretly found it fairly liberating.

"Good," she said, nodding her head in Chell's direction. "If I'm gone, they'll leave. All three of them. Hopefully they'll take the marshmallows, too."

"You want them to leave?"

GLaDOS paused for a moment then cast her eyes downward. "No. No, I do not. But the further away they are from Aperture, the better."

Caroline looked up at her. GLaDOS pretended to ignore it. "You think you'd kill them."

"I know I would. The Combine merely provided a nice distraction from testing. But now that I'm dead – _again_– it looks like I won't get the chance."

Caroline turned and walked away from the window. "Hm, so you are. Too bad about that."

GLaDOS sighed and rubbed her forehead then rebuked herself for doing so. Visualizing herself as human? Caroline must have been lying. GLaDOS had absolutely no intention of being anything even remotely similar to any silly android.

A moment passed, and GLaDOS realized that Chell's body had moved almost a full inch. If Caroline was right about being able to process faster, that meant it was going to take an eternity for her to watch the humans to finally leave.

"Can you process slower?" GLaDOS groaned. "I've already been to Hell once, and I don't want Hell 2.0 as a reward for protecting the entire facility and basically saving all of science and humanity."

There was no answer. GLaDOS whirled around to see that Caroline had disappeared.

"...Hello?"

Her voice echoed but was not replied.

"All right, look; I'm sorry for deleting you. There. No hard feelings between semi-omnipotent beings?"

Wherever she was, Caroline was intent on remaining silent. GLaDOS sighed, scowled, and sat back in her chair with a huff. She had no choice but to watch the figures on the screen as they crawled through their actions.

It was going to be a long, _long_ eternity.

* * *

><p>((A.N.: This chapter's title, DEM, means "Deus Ex Machina"... which I actually apologize for! OTL ))<p> 


	31. The Technician

Upon entering the Central Chamber, Chell let out a scream. It was a completely wordless noise, a loud shriek like metal against metal, but all the same it brought Doug's attention momentarily away from his progress. He turned back to his work, ignoring her as though she were just a separate pile within the little bits and huge chunks of GLaDOS's body littering the floor.

With another cry, Chell stomped up to Doug and started slapping around his head and shoulders with her unbandaged hand. He winced, startled, and, to Chell's utter surprise, reached out and grabbed her wrist. His head snapped to glare at her, and her eyes went wide at the look of him.

The area around his right eye was still swollen and bright purple. His other eye was not much lighter, more due to lack of sleep than injury. Two butterfly sutures closed the cut on his cheek. He was scowling, his lip curled in anger, the first true expression Chell had seen on him since meeting him.

"I'm _working_," he hissed, throwing Chell's hand away. She recoiled, nearly stepping on a few of the laid-out scraps of metal on the floor.

Doug's lip curled further. "_Watch it_! You're going to _break _something!"

She froze immediately, staring in shock at the scientist's face. He had never been anything but pleasant to her, and though sometimes fearful and creepy, he had never shown any aggression. Now, he looked like a wild beast, snarling and hunched over the shards of GLaDOS's body, as though he'd torn her open with tooth and claw alone. The untainted pupil had shrunken to a speck, giving his face a wide-eyed madness.

Chell slowly raised her hand in surrender, the broken arm slung at her side in its cast. That seemed to calm him. He groaned, rubbing his forehead and looking away.

"Fine. Whatever," he snapped. "You don't even know what I'm doing, so just.. just go away."

Chell lowered her hand but did not move. Doug sighed, nodded to himself, and appeared to calm further.

"Yeah, I know," he muttered, giving a nod to something obscured by GLaDOS's chassis. Chell peered over, somewhat unsurprised to see the small prototype Companion Cube sitting on the ground. Doug coughed, diverting her attention. "Okay, well, if you're going to hang around, at least help me. Give me that... that... tool. The orange one."

Chell looked at her feet, seeing only gray and black metal tools.

"The _orange _one!" Doug insisted, growing angry again. "_That _one! The one that just moved!"

She waved her arms and gave a small, wheezy grunt, signifying that there was indeed no orange tool on the ground. He pushed her aside and snatched up a small wrench.

"Just go away," he growled, glaring at her cast. "You need to be in your Relaxation Chamber anyway."

Giving a dejected sigh, Chell carefully stepped over GLaDOS's bits and left Doug to himself. The door sealed shut behind her, and once again cold silence filled the room.

To say that Chell was upset was a bit of an understatement.

She had cooked for him, her own little way of apologizing for blackening his eye, and now bowls of wasted food still lay on the floor from days past. And yes, she understood his zeal to repair GLaDOS, but to be completely honest, she didn't think it was possible for him to do it. He hardly seemed to know what he was doing, aside from merely tearing her up, and Chell was certain that the nanobots would be able to fix her if he'd just left her alone.

That was what nanobots did, right?

Her grip tightened on the portal device as Doug started up from GLaDOS's hulled frame. A circuit board was clenched in his hand, and as he let loose a weary sigh, Wheatley joined them in the room. Doug approached them, callously crunching the little pieces of GLaDOS under his shoes, the same pieces he'd yelled at Chell for stepping on. The corner of Chell's mouth twitched at this, and the feeling once again encroached on her that the meeting Doug had randomly called would produce more bad news.

"Where's the rest?" he muttered vaguely. Chell and Wheatley looked at each other and both shrugged.

Doug was a poor sight. Where his face was not bruised and swollen, it was deathly pale. His eyes were dark and void of expression. His shirt and pants were either soaked in sweat or stained with oil, and long crimson cuts striped his arms from repeatedly reaching into the metal cavity. Chell couldn't help but feel sorry for him, even if she _was _still angry over the wasted meals

GLaDOS, on the other hand, watching from the wide window in her own private Hell, merely sulked in angry frustration.

Caroline had given her some control – at least the ability to process her own perceptions faster – and so time was no longer crawling along. She had watched three days pass, with Doug stopping only to eat a little food or leave to use the restroom. He had not slept once, and she knew his sanity was wearing thin.

"Fool," she muttered, crossing her arms.

A sigh echoed from behind her, and she looked up from her chair to see Caroline standing over her. The ghostly figure wore a face of worried compassion.

"Honestly, he should just leave," GLaDOS hissed, sulking back. "There's absolutely no need to torture himself like this."

"I knew him," Caroline said softly. "He was merely an intern when..." She trailed off then sighed. "How time changes all of us."

"Is that my _motherboard_?" GLaDOS said, eager to draw the tone of the conversation. "It took him _three days _to find it? Why didn't he just check the – oh. That's right. I deleted the schematics."

Caroline glared at her.

"Oops," GLaDOS said, trying to sound as if she wasn't sorry at all.

Within a few moments, Atlas and P-Body appeared, carrying the Fact Core with them. Doug nodded at them.

"Good. We're all here." He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I have something I want to show you, and something I need to tell you."

They all exchanged glances. P-Body gave a quiet, mechanized 'hi' to Chell specifically; in the past couple days, since nothing else was going on and the Relaxation Pod had fully healed Chell's arm, she and P-Body had run through some of the more basic testing courses together. Atlas had run the manual controls on the tests, since Wheatley wanted nothing more to do with testing entirely. After a while, Chell and the orange robot had formed a simple bond, and Chell found that, when she was not _forced_to do them, tests were actually kind of fun.

"This," Doug started, holding up the motherboard, "is the entirety of GLaDOS's brain. It is her memories, her processes, her initiatives. Everything. It is also fried to a crisp." He dropped it unceremoniously on the floor, forcing an angry squeak out of Chell. "My friends, I regret to inform you that there is absolutely no hope in reviving her. So I need you all to leave the center for good."

"But-" started Wheatley, interrupted by a wave of Doug's hand.

"No, just listen. Without someone at the controls, this center will face another nuclear meltdown like it almost did. You all will have a better chance out there now that City 04's Combine have been neutralized. And let's face it: she would've eventually killed you all anyway."

"That's what _I've _been saying!" GLaDOS burst from her perch in the afterlife.

"So go. Go and live out the remainder of your time in freedom. If nothing else, you all deserve it after what you've been through."

Chell frowned, gathering his attention with a wave, pointing at Doug's chest then pointing down to the ground. He gave her a puzzled look.

"What about you, doc?" interpreted Rick from her portal device. "Ya keep sayin' 'you' like you ain't comin' with us."

"Well, I'm not."

"What?!" came a chorus from all who could speak.

GLaDOS jumped up from her chair. "Is he insane?!"

"Yes," said Caroline smoothly, setting a calm hand on GLaDOS's shoulder, "which is why you should understand."

Doug shook his head slowly. "There's no place for me out there. Already I feel my mind slipping, and though we have some experimental drugs here, I know there's nothing out there that would keep me sane. If I didn't become a laughingstock of the whole city, they would at least dub me dangerous, and if the Combine still managed to find me... well, let's say there's still enough information in my brain to make this world a very dangerous place. No, my place is here, with..." He looked at GLaDOS's empty chassis. "...with my memories. You all must go."

Silence fell, both in the Central Command and in the 'afterlife'. GLaDOS fell back in her chair and hid her face with both hands. Caroline tapped her on the shoulder, prompting her to look up once again.

Chell stepped in the middle of the group, a gentle but sad smile on her face. She perched her portal device onto a loop around her waist, touched one hand to her chest and kept it there. With the other, she touched Wheatley, Atlas, the Fact Core in Atlas's hands, P-Body, her own portal device containing Rick and Orion, GLaDOS's chassis though she hesitated to do so, and finally pressed her hand on Doug's chest. Then she raised both hands chest-high, palms down, and pushed them downward in a sweeping motion.

"What... what does that mean?" ventured Doug, his voice somber.

"Means you're gonna have a helluva time kickin' us out, mate," said Wheatley.

Doug gave a weak smile. "You're all completely insane to stay here. You know that, right?"

Chell nodded, her grin widening. She clapped him twice on the shoulder, pointed to the door, and made a motion as if laying her head down.

"Yeah, I-I know. I need some sleep." He sighed, looking a little more relaxed and somewhat relieved. She ushered him away, out of the chamber, followed by the robot entourage, and the lights to the Central Command Chamber finally went dark.

GLaDOS was speechless. It didn't happen very often. The behavior of most humans was irrational, especially in the concept of self-preservation, but very rarely left her without some witty comment or criticism. Chell's and Doug's actions of late, however, had been far from self-preservation. In fact, their decision to stay was almost suicidal.

And that would've been good enough for a snarky pun or two, except she didn't quite feel up to making one. They had both been through the most trying difficulties ever put to a human, and when confronted with the decision to leave the place that had haunted them so much, they were unwilling to go. Either they had full-blown Stockholm syndrome, or they were in denial of said Stockholm syndrome.

_Or they actually _do _care about me._

_Oh, look. I _can _make puns after all._

"Seems like they're not the only ones in denial," Caroline said simply, as if GLaDOS had been speaking aloud the entire time. GLaDOS inwardly cursed herself, and then again for good measure. Of course Caroline had been able to tell what she was thinking.

"What do you mean?" she said, knowing exactly what Caroline meant.

Instead of answering, Caroline gave a frustratingly-calm smile and vanished. GLaDOS groaned, dimmed the lights of her personal Hell, and waited.

* * *

><p>AN: Sudden and violent anger is one of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Doug generally doesn't exhibit those, though...<p>

Also I apologize for the tardiness and brevity of this chapter. I was honestly thinking about ending the story here! But after consulting with a few very close and very wise readers, I decided against it. Expect more chapters soon, and thanks as always for reading!


	32. Hell

"Can't you process any faster?"

Caroline shrugged. She had her back to GLaDOS, arms crossed tightly, as if hugging herself. "It's processing in real time. I might have power over Aperture, but I can't show you the future."

GLaDOS groaned, sinking into her chair. The lights in the chamber had been dim for what felt like days, and not only was she both literally and figuratively in the dark, she was also horribly bored.

"I'm sorry," Caroline said, a good amount of sympathy in her voice. "I'm trying to synch up some other cameras, but it's a bit difficult. I don't want to drop your data. Ah, here, let me just..."

The whole room jolted sharply, forcing GLaDOS to grip the curvy arms tightly and uncross her legs to plant both feet on the ground. The capsule of her personal Hell rumbled and shimmied, making the internal lights dim and stutter. After a moment, everything relaxed – except GLaDOS. When the lights switched back on, GLaDOS noticed that the room somehow looked smaller; even her chair was a bit smaller, now gently touching the sides of her hips instead of providing adequate shifting room.

"What in the world did you do that for?" she gasped. Caroline turned to her, arms still folded, and grinned.

"Oh, just some moving around. Pasting, moving some files, compressing."

"Compressing." GLaDOS wriggled in her chair, notably displeased by the lack of room. "I don't think I like being data."

The massive window switched from the dull view of her lifeless body to an equally dull view of Doug's workshop. Her fried motherboard lay on his desk. Solder and transistors scattered around it like confetti, glittering dimly in the light. Her hard drive was next to the motherboard, and even from the distance of the camera, GLaDOS could see the deep, driven scratch along the disk. The scientist was not in there, though the damned Cube was. GLaDOS glared at it heatedly.

"Switch the camera."

Caroline clicked her tongue. "You know, the more you try to order me around-"

"Switch the camera, _please_." GLaDOS's fingers dug into the chair's arms.

The grin that had spread on Caroline's face suddenly dropped, and she turned back as the camera flashed to show the cafeteria. It, also, was empty.

"Slow day," Caroline said quietly. She switched to a few hallways, all of them gathering dust, before switching to the camera in Doug's room. Naturally, the view was obstructed by what looked like some type of fabric.

"Hmph. Still paranoid, even after all we've been through."

"Which is exactly why he's paranoid," Caroline retorted.

GLaDOS glanced at her. Why was she looking for Doug? She had mentioned knowing him before, but she hadn't appeared to have any further interest in him.

"Check Camera 413."

Caroline shook her head. "That's in the sub-basement."

"No, it's just listed as sub-basement. It's actually in the opposite corner of his room."

Caroline turned to her again, raising a manicured brow.

"_What_? I have to spy on him _some_how."

"And you call _him_ paranoid."

The screen revealed Doug, sitting on his bed and arranging what little clothes he could gather. It was a common sight on laundry day, but now he seemed a bit off, his movements more mechanical and stiff, his face stoic and hollow.

Not that laundry was much fun, anyway.

GLaDOS frowned, wondering if he'd been taking his medication. Caroline watched him as well, her brows raised with worry, rubbing her chin and neck.

"To answer your question," Caroline said quietly, "I just wanted to make sure he was all right. He's in a very fragile and volatile state right now. But he seems to be coping. Perhaps it's not a bad idea, then."

The last words were quieter, musing only to herself. GLaDOS cocked her head, wishing the telepathy was two-way. How unfair it was to _not_, for once, be omniscient. Her attention turned back to the screen as it switched, showing Chell in her room, stretched out on her bed and resting quietly. She still wore the testing pair of Long-Fall Boots. Recent red scrapes on her arms signified that she'd recently been testing with Orange again.

GLaDOS watched her for a moment, propping her elbow on the arm of the chair and leaning on her hand. Finally, she gave an uneasy sigh. Caroline turned.

"You have a question?"

"I promised I wouldn't test her," GLaDOS said. "Yet she seems to go through them herself. Makes me wonder if it would've just been easier to treat it all as a game."

Caroline smiled sadly. "Mr. Johnson used to. Before he used to pay them, he encouraged them to treat it as an adventure. He had these magazines, you see, of men going out and wrestling crocodiles and hunting lions with their bare hands. Ridiculous things. But that was how he thought the tests should play out, too." She shrugged. "I suppose now you could compare it to being a video game."

"Some game," GLaDOS smirked. "It doesn't even have a plot."

The day crawled by. Doug eventually finished his folding and proceeded to clean, as much as he was able. Supplies were in short stock, but that didn't stop him from sweeping up the kitchen and doing dishes.

Chell, on the other hand, rested for a while longer before waking up and showering. Caroline switched the camera view as a towel-wrapped Chell stepped out.

GLaDOS rolled her eyes. "You know, I _have_ seen naked test subjects before. And I'm more concerned about what she's doing rather than what she looks like; your censorship is quite unnecessary."

"Leave the poor girl alone," Caroline retorted. "She's had enough of a time, and she doesn't need a voyeur."

What they did not see was Chell staring at herself in the provided full-length mirror, smiling sadly at her reflection and quietly wishing for an orange sundress that she knew would never come. After a moment, her smile melted, and she collapsed to her knees in front of the mirror and sobbed.

* * *

><p>"It's been hours," GLaDOS groaned. She was now leaning on the arm of the chair, shifting restlessly. "They aren't doing anything."<p>

"What did you expect them to do?" Caroline said. She hadn't moved from her spot between GLaDOS and the screen.

"Oh, something interesting. Data processing. Configuration. Analysis of materials. Theorizing."

"Long division," Caroline smirked.

GLaDOS glared.

"They're just trying to get their lives back. Or at least what little of their lives remained. Sort of touching, sort of pathetic." Caroline cupped a hand on her chin. "Loss is an odd thing with humans. I see some of my former co-workers in them. The ones I knew well – they weren't the same after I was put in. A few of them even..."

She trailed off, her grin fading as she shook her head, hugging herself tighter as she shivered. GLaDOS gazed at her.

"After a while, I wanted nothing to do with science. Mr. Johnson had already d...g-gone, and seeing what my transformation had done to my colleagues was simply too much for me. I stopped working, and they assumed the transfer had failed. I suppose that was when they came up with you."

Despite lacking the physical necessity, Caroline gulped hard. She cast her head to the floor, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." GLaDOS sat up, a smirk returning to her face. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here. And before all of this happened, I had a pretty good life. I had science, and testing, and all the test subjects I could ever ask for. I suppose I got a little _ambitious_, but who's to say that's a bad thing?"

"I think all the neurotoxin-poisoned scientists may disagree with you."

"Well, yes. But they're not really here, are they? And what if I hadn't killed them? The Combine would have – or worse. In retrospect, I saved the world."

"Because the world's in such a wonderful state right now."

"Oh, shut up," GLaDOS finally grumbled. She tried to twist in her chair, effectively turning away from Caroline, but found that there was not enough room to do so. Caroline laughed.

"You know, you _can_ get up and walk around."

"I don't _need_ to. After all, I'm used to being-"

GLaDOS stopped mid-sentence as Caroline began humming.

"Oh no. You are _not_ singing what I think you're singing."

"Not singing at all," Caroline taunted. "_Should_ I sing instead?"

"No. No, no, no, no, no!"

"_Music box dancer, do you think or believe_-"

"No, stop it."

"_She could step off her box if she wanted to leave_?"

"Caroline..."

"_So easy it is, twirl around with such grace_."

"I swear to God..."

"_Staying in her circle, she remains in one place_."

"Ohh, that is _it_!" GLaDOS rose from her chair, clumsily trotting a few steps toward Caroline. She raised her fist and struck, though her swing passed through Caroline's head without affecting one single coif. Instead, Caroline just laughed.

"Well, that got you up!"

GLaDOS seethed, balling her fists at her sides. "And why would that be important to you? What does it matter to you if I sit in that chair until the end of time?"

"Because I need to compress again."

The AI's eyes widened as the room started to quake again. This time, she lost her balance, landing in an ungainly heap on the floor, trying to grasp at the tile until the shaking stopped.

"I'm not even supposed to have balance," she grumbled, getting to her knees. "I am not built for a human style of movement, and I do not even know how you're making me function right now. But I do know that right now, _I hate you_."

Caroline giggled and then vanished entirely.

* * *

><p>Doug couldn't stand being away from the Command Chamber for too long. It felt too lonely anywhere else, and watching Chell test made him nervous. Instead he spent the next day sweeping all of GLaDOS's pieces to the side, and after that he sat down at the console to see what sort of information he could access.<p>

Apparently he had a whole lot of unread emails.

It made sense, since the first thing GLaDOS had done upon taking over was to block communication. Most of the emails were things he expected – alerts for scheduled meetings that he'd ignored or requests for this or that type of modification. A few caught his eye, labeled as "GLaDOS System Testing FYI" shortly followed by "SYSTEM TESTING FAILURE EVACUATE NOW" and a mess of "No Subject" mails from his colleagues.

He shook his head. There was no sense dwelling on the past.

He nearly closed out of the email server when one of them caught his eye. It was first on the list and newest, without a subject but with a rather large attachment and an unfamiliar sender. At first he'd glossed over it, thinking that some hacker had spammed some virus, but the timestamp made him pause.

It had been mailed today.

Well, there was really nothing to lose by opening the email. If it was a virus, there wasn't much left to destroy. Doug opened the email.

His eyes flashed wide, and he leapt from his chair with enough force to knock it over. He scrambled away from the console, dashing for the door.

"Chell! _Chell_!"


	33. High Water

"The data's all here. Everything! She must've downloaded it all into a backup server before she died! ("She?" Caroline mused to herself.) This is excellent!" Doug whirled around in his chair to look at Chell, grinning from ear to ear. "This means we can get her back!"

Chell tightened her lips and crossed her arms over her chest. Her eyes flashed from Doug to his computer and back again, then she slowly shook her head.

"Yes, I know. It sounds too good to be true. And I'm pretty sure it is." He sighed and pulled at his beard, but was still unable to wipe the smile from his face. "After all, I'd need to find another hard drive and motherboard _and_ several other very specific components before I can install this data, and even then it's a gamble on whether or not it will work."

He paused, his smile growing before he let out a small laugh. "But Chell – _we got her_!"

Perhaps it was because Chell didn't fully understand the impact of having her data. After all, it was just an email attachment, and GLaDOS was quite a complex machine. To say that everything that comprised GLaDOS herself was in a tiny file, floating around the network like an amoeba seemed pretty unbelievable.

"Oh!" cried Wheatley, who had been standing behind Chell. He waved an arm in the air like an eager student. "Parts, yes? I can hack them for you, have 'em in a jiff! I'm a good hacker; just ask anyone!"

The two humans slowly turned to look at him, Doug with curious, raised eyebrow and Chell with brow-knitting incredulity. Chell gave a slow but firm shake of her head, and Wheatley's hand timidly lowered.

"So, no, then?" he peeped, tapping his fingers together.

Chell groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Unfortunately," Doug continued, giving Wheatley a look, "all of the prototype chassis here are fairly unsuitable for use. They're either too old, broken-down, or ill-equipped to accept the types of changes we need to make."

Chell whistled softly through her teeth then signaled a zero and a four with her hands. Doug shook his head.

"The types of equipment we need are very specific to the GLaDOS model. Unless there was a true miracle and the Combine just happened to have that kind of tech, we can't do anything with their stuff. Moreover, I'm not about to let you walk back into the City on a gamble."

Chell's shoulders sank. Behind her, Wheatley mimicked the expression. Doug sighed.

"I'll go through the inventory. There may be something left behind, and in that case, all we'll have to do is send Atlas and P-Body through old Aperture to fetch it."

Chell sighed, looking down. She jumped when Doug touched her arm.

"Hey," he said quietly, casting a firm but comforting gaze in her eyes. "We'll get her back. I promise. And I do not break my promises."

Nodding, Chell finally cracked a smile. She gave Doug's hand a reassuring pat and turned to leave. Wheatley began to follow.

"Wheatley? Stay. I need to speak with you."

He cringed at the tone of Doug's voice. Secretly, he'd been fearing some kind of confrontation between the two of them since he and Chell had returned, and in his own way he'd been glad that GLaDOS's death caused a distraction. Giving Chell a pleading but ignored look, he prepared for the worst.

"Y-yes?" Wheatley stuttered after Chell had gone.

Doug stood from his chair, grabbing his turret-leg cane to help prop himself up. Bursting from the Command Chamber to Chell's bedroom, plus the recurring excitement of his discovery, had been a little much for him. He limped over to Wheatley, a mere handful of steps, but Wheatley cowered down, tucked himself in with every tap of the cane to the floor.

Here it was: his punishment. If only he'd been watching Chell closer! If only he'd grabbed onto her, or, better, if he'd not been such a coward and attacked those strider-thingies head-on, she'd never have broken her arm. She got hurt on account of him, and Doug knew it, and here was his punishment, served up hot like humans liked to serve revenge. He didn't have any sort of wrench this time, but that didn't mean some wire-ripping by hand or – oh! - that cane of his did look rather painful! He was just a step away now. Here it was-

"I'm proud of you," Doug said quietly.

"Ah! No, please! I didn't mean-" Wheatley's optic peeked out behind the shield of his arm. "S-sorry, what?"

Reaching out, Doug set his hand on Wheatley's arm, lowering it so that his optic was fully exposed. Propping his cane against his hip, Doug took one of Wheatley's massive hands within both of his, cupping it with one and patting with the other, as if consoling a child.

"I'm proud of you. You got her back in one piece, and even though she did manage to snap her arm, you weren't the cause of that." Releasing Wheatley's hand, Doug took up his cane and looked to the floor. "In truth, I didn't know what to think of you. After GLaDOS told me what you'd done – and what you'd done to Chell – I wasn't sure if I could trust you or forgive you. But Chell trusts you. She forgives you. So that's good enough for me."

Wheatley slowly drew his hand back, looking from it to the old scientist. At length, he spoke in a small, unsure voice. "N-no one's ever told me that."

"Hm?" Doug tilted his head.

"That they're proud of me." Wheatley curled up sheepishly, tapping his fingertips together. "Guess it's cuz' I never really did anythin' right."

Doug patted Wheatley's arm firmly, grinning. "You're doing what you can. It's all we can do."

* * *

><p>The night was broken by a series of loud and urgent beeps from Central Command. Doug immediately leapt out of bed, grabbed Cube, and bolted for the chamber, worried that the Combine had broken through, but the beeping turned out to be another type of signal entirely.<p>

After quieting the alarm, Doug checked the cameras, making sure no one else had been roused by the noise. Wheatley was offline, charging alongside Atlas and P-Body. Chell was... well, he assumed she was in her room. She wasn't in the hallway, her door was closed, and there was no way he was going to invade on her privacy.

He checked the signal again and a third time, mostly in disbelief of what he saw. The transmission seemed to be so full of impossible things that at first he questioned whether he should take more of his medication. But a fifth look confirmed everything.

"Coordinates, blueprints, transmission data – it's all in one package," he muttered.

"It's a miracle. Christmas came early this year!" Cube cheered.

Doug chuckled. "If only by a few weeks. And yes, it all seems a convenient coincidence."

"Do you think it's Her?"

"Possible. Very possible. We don't know what it's like for her right now. For all we know, she could be reliving the Black Box feature. ("Oh, no. _Much_ worse," groaned GLaDOS.) But this is just the data we need at the time we need it. The only problem is..."

Cube, of course, knew exactly what the problem was. Or, rather, who. "Are you sure it's her? It's been years, after all. It could be someone different!"

"Time changes us all. But no, it's her. I know." Doug tensed, his smile dissolving. "I would know that face anywhere."

"Are you going to tell her?" Cube ventured. It didn't need to specify who 'her' was.

Doug shook his head slowly. "There's no need." Leaning back in his chair, he sighed and closed his eyes, picturing just after GLaDOS's death, when Chell had touched everyone and him last of all. ("Did I make a mistake, sending that transmission?" Caroline said quietly, tapping her lip. "No," replied GLaDOS, "though now I actually regret some of those adoption jokes.") At length his mismatched eyes opened, and a sense of calm draped over him like a warm blanket on a cold night. "There's no need. We're here for her now. That's all that matters."

"So are you gonna head out there now?"

"You know I can't. And I'm not entirely sure that I want her to go out there, either. I could send Wheatley. Or Atlas and P-Body."

"Oh, Doug. Don't play around. You know she's not going to just sit quietly and let the robots do everything."

Doug sighed, grinning lopsidedly, hiding it with a hand. He had to admire her; she truly never gave up. "I just want her to be safe. But of course you're right.

"Of course," Cube agreed, more than a hint of pride in its voice. "So, when are you going to get moving?"

He chuckled and opened a document, copying down the coordinates listed from the signal. "Well, I suppose I don't really need any more sleep tonight! Let's see where you are, _Borealis_."

* * *

><p>"Good news, everybody!" Doug announced, bursting suddenly into the kitchen and almost startling Chell into dropping her bowl. Wheatley and the other 'bots where there as well, having received commands to do so, though none of them knew exactly why.<p>

The way Doug was beaming must have been infectious, because Chell found herself smiling widely. He'd found something; she _knew_ it. He'd found a way to fix her, and everything was going to be okay, and soon they'd all be together, just like in her dream, only plus one human, since she hadn't known about Doug, but that was okay because he was a little creepy but he meant well and was actually pretty cool and oh goodness just say it already!

His smile faltered a bit but didn't disappear. "Well, I have bad news, too. But mostly good news."

He sat down at the small, bent-up rust pile that served as their table. Chell sat next to him, Wheatley – who was too heavy to use the chairs – stood across from her, and Atlas and P-body stood adjacent to Doug. Their closeness gave him a feeling of importance, as though he were head of some business meeting again, only it was something with more impact than end-of-the-year budgets and productivity reports.

"The bad news," he began, "is that the parts we need are not in the facility. In fact, they are as far away as they can possibly be, and in an area that we know for a fact is patrolled actively by Combine. Additionally, if the Combine get to it before we do, there will be a lot of trouble."

Chell's smile dropped.

So did Doug's. "In fact, that's the understatement of the year. It will be earth-shatteringly catastrophic. If you remember, her acronym is "_Genetic Lifeform_ and Disk Operating System." If they hooked it into their system and began making stalkers out of their prisoners... not to mention all of Aperture's secrets held in it."

"Well, wouldn' she jus' rebel and flip 'em all on their heads?" Wheatley said with a shrug.

"No," Doug said. "Her personality? Sure. But we've got that here, and – I can't believe I'm saying this – _unfortunately_, they didn't copy that."

Wheatley and Chell exchanged glances as if communicating in some secret, telepathic language before Wheatley spoke again. "All right, so what's the good news?"

"Wheatley, Atlas, P-Body – your programming should recall a little thing called the _Borealis_."

Chell brightened, almost bolting from her seat with a small grunt. She clearly remembered the empty, ghostlike dry dock far below. There were still unopened crates down there, along with lifesavers and other equipment. Maybe they wouldn't have to go far after all!

Doug looked at her in surprise. "Wait, you know what the _Borealis_ is?"

Chell nodded, vigorously pointing downwards. She then grimaced, and with a frustrated grunt held her hand out to Wheatley, flexing her fingers as though she wanted something.

After a moment of realization, he opened the retractable hole in his midsection ("Ugh, that is _not_ a storage device," muttered GLaDOS.) and recovered what she sought – a pen and paper. She snatched it from him and started furiously writing. Ripping the sheet off, she handed it to Doug and sat back, crossing her arms and giving a smug look.

He glanced at the paper, then back at her. "No, it isn't."

Another grunt, another vigorous pointing downwards.

Doug shook his head. "No, what you must've seen down there was the dock. I've never actually seen it myself – it was before my time – but I've seen the dock, too. What we're looking for is not down there, believe me."

Chell hung her head. He handed her paper back. "I'm sorry. I wish it were so. It would be a lot easier on us. But the _Borealis_ is, according to this signal and transmission we got this morning, on the northern edge of Greenland. There's a chassis in there from way back when, and it might still be functional."

Chell's mad grin suddenly returned, strong enough to hurt her face. She covered her face with a palm and tried to suppress the little squeak of excitement at the prospect of actually getting GLaDOS back.

"So we're off again, yeah?" Wheatley said, leaning on the table, which gave a little and prompted him to stop.

"I'll have to see what I can do about getting over there quickly. The Combine are aboard the ship now, and we don't have time for a plane ride – and we don't have the _plane_, for that matter. There should be some technology on there that would allow for a remote portal to be opened. It's just a matter of finding it."

Chell snatched the paper and pen, scribbled, and handed it back. Doug raised his brows.

"Yes... yes, Orion could detect it for us! Good thinking! I'll talk to him immediately when I get back to the console."

"But why would they put a portable portal on a ship? _How_ could they? It was all way-back-when, ancient times, right?"

Doug scratched the back of his head. "That's one thing I never really understood. Aperture always saw the functionality of using portals, but they never saw the marketability. Well, considering what's happened, I suppose that's a good thing, but to answer your question, it's a lot easier shoving supplies through a portal than hauling everything with cranes."

Chell gave an understanding nod. Wheatley lifted his bottom optic lid, giving him a slightly confused expression. After a moment, he quietly said "Ah!"

Doug turned to Chell, reaching over and gently setting his hand over hers. At this point, he really didn't care if it seemed creepy or not; he wanted his next words to have impact. She responded in surprise and looked a little affronted but didn't draw her hand back.

"I'm going to give you a choice this time. I don't exactly want you to go out there, but I know that if you want to go, you're not going to take 'no' for an answer. Chell – are you willing to risk your life on a chance? The chassis may be damaged. It may be incompatible. The Combine could kill you or worse. It's also freezing out there, and you could die from exposure. Wheatley will be going either way; he doesn't get a say in this."

"Hey-" Wheatley tried to interject but quieted as Doug raised a hand to him.

"So I ask you this: do you want to go to the _Borealis_?"

Chell didn't take long before solemnly nodding her head. It wasn't the answer he was hoping for, but it was one he expected. Sighing deeply, he gave her hand a squeeze and smiled. It wasn't a fake, forced smile this time.

"I trust you, and I trust Wheatley to keep you safe," he said softly, then scoffed. "And believe me, the trust of a paranoid schizophrenic is hard to come by."

Releasing her hand, he rose from the table, glancing this time at Atlas and P-Body. "You two, come with me. I'll need your help with the preparations. Chell, we-"

He paused. Chell didn't look up at him. Instead, she merely stared at the hand that he'd touched, a somewhat troubled look on her face. Doug paled, realizing what he'd just revealed.

"We, uh... we'll shoot for tomorrow morning, if I can get everything in order." His voice softened, lost some of his confidence. He faltered a moment, making mere attempts at words, then quietly dismissed himself and walked off.

* * *

><p>Doug wasn't about to let a little nervousness set him back. He returned to Central Command and immediately connected with Orion.<p>

"L-lab rat!" Orion squeaked, an air of appreciative affection in his voice.

"Hello, Orion. How is everything going?"

"Cold. Space is cold. And kinda empty."

"Oh. That's... sort of troubling. Are you all right?"

"Yes!" He let out a giggle. "Sun, moon, stars. Mercury, Venus. I can see it all. Space!"

"Well, as long as you're fine out there. Listen – can you do me a favor?"

Orion could, and within moments Doug had targeted what was evidently the Aperture Industries Remote Quantum Tunneling Support Wall, along with its mate in the depths of Aperture. He immediately sent Atlas and P-Body to fetch it, and as they set off, he returned to his office to pick up Cube and some software.

"Hey, Cube! Wanna spend some time-" He pushed open the door and stopped dead in his tracks.

Chell stood in front of his desk, staring at Cube as though her eyes were boring a hole into it.

"Doug?" Cube peeped, "I think you and she need to have a little talk."


	34. The Breath

Doug suddenly felt very old.

He gently pushed Chell aside and slid into his desk chair. His cane clattered against the desk before falling to the ground. With a sigh, he rubbed his eyes, wishing he didn't feel so hollow at this moment. A husk. As if the wind would churn through the empty hallways and into his office, blowing him into dust. He finally looked up at Chell and took a deep, unrewarding breath.

"What do you want to know?"

Chell traced her finger around in a single circle. Even her makeshift sign language seemed curt and angry. She wanted to know everything. She accentuated her sign by poking Cube with her index finger, giving a small whistle through her teeth, and pointing the same finger to Doug's chest.

"I swear I didn't tell her anything!" Cube declared, earning a reproachful glare from Doug.

"Yes, what I said earlier was true. I'm schizophrenic. Sometimes I-I see things, hear things. GLaDOS found my stasis capsule and woke me up; that part I told you. Since then, she's been using experimental medication on me, which I've also told you before, and while it's worked fairly well, there's been the occasional -"

Chell shook her head, wagging her finger at him in a fierce 'no'. Folding her hands together, she laid them on her cheek, tilting her head to mimic 'sleep', and then fiercely shook her head again.

"No, I was in stasis. I'm not lying."

She prodded his chest twice then turned to the wall, mimicking long sweeps of a paintbrush against it. Then she pointed to Doug again, mouthing the words of her actions.

"Wh-? Well, yes, I was the one who painted the walls. How did you know?"

She directed an accusatory finger to Cube.

"Oh."

"I swear I didn't tell her anything!" it squeaked.

"No, I know you didn't." It was the first time he'd addressed Cube directly in front of another living creature. And for the first time, he wasn't afraid to do so.

He expected the confused and curious look that Chell gave him, and with a defeated hang of his head, he waved a hand to the quadrangle on the desk. "Chell, this is Cube. Cube, I'm sure you know Chell."

Chell raised a brow at the cube, tilting her head like a bemused puppy. She turned back to Doug, touching her ear then pointing a finger toward Cube.

"Yes, I can hear it. No one else seems to, so it may just be part of my affliction." He cleared his throat. "However, this cube is a little different from the ones in the testing chambers. It's a prototype that is allegedly tuned to atmospheric pressure, oxygen output, and other elements that a person subconsciously expresses when they change emotions. Cat whiskers can do the same, actually. But whether it's truly sentient or not is... basically a question of my own sanity."

Chell nodded, still looking a bit puzzled but also a bit reassured.

"It says hello, by the way."

To his utter surprise, Chell brightened at his words. She waved to Cube as though it had waved first and gave it a gentle pat on one of its corners. Doug allowed himself a small grin, which disappeared as another thought crossed his mind.

"There's something else I have to tell you. I've tried to hide it, but I don't feel that it's fair. I trust you; I want to be completely honest with you so you can trust me as well."

The gravity in his voice told her that she ought to sit down for this one. She took a seat atop his desk, resting an elbow on Cube as if they'd been old friends forever. Doug tried to push that very endearing thought from his mind as he began.

"You may or may not remember, but you were labeled unsuitable for testing. They kept you in the vault for some reason, but you were pretty much the bottom of the barrel in the testing queue. When GLaDOS took over the facility, you were in stasis. A long time passed, and I-I didn't see any hope for the future."

Doug bit his lip, rocking slightly in his chair. The memories, the screams of his comrades, still plagued him. Now, reliving the memory, he heard their echoing cries. He could not forgive himself for their deaths. It was an albatross he did not mind strung around his neck. But what he did to Chell was another matter.

"I moved you to the top," he said quickly, ripping off the bandage of his sins and exposing it to fresh battery acid. "I knew you were the only one who could – who could bring her down. You were my only hope for survival, and when you defeated her, I was a free man."

Chell's eye twitched. Doug pressed on in his story hurriedly, an apology long delayed.

"I saw you being dragged in. I couldn't leave you. So many others died while I hid. I couldn't let the same happen to you. So I rerouted power to Long-Term Relaxation to keep you alive. In the process, I got shot." He rubbed his gimped leg gingerly. "To be honest, I don't know how I survived. I crawled into the nearest Relaxation Chamber, but all it did was keep me on the edge of death. I was able to leave it a bit later, but I was left to roam the emptiness here. I left monuments of your story. And eventually I found a Relaxation Chamber that kept me under for quite some time. She found me after you'd left."

He closed his eyes, wincing as he expected her to hit him. There he was, a dry shell of a man who deserved every bit of her wrath. Gulping hard, he gripped the worn plastic arms of his desk chair tightly.

"You have to understand my position. I'm a coward. And GLaDOS scares me. It doesn't excuse me, but... I'm sorry, Chell. I am so sorry."

Her silence, though predictable, worried him, and somehow he found the courage to look up. She remained on his desk, hands pressed together in her lap, eyes closed. She sniffled quietly as tears ran through her clasped fingers.

For a while, Doug could only watch her in silence, fearing anything he would say would either throw her into a deeper bout of crying or a whirlwind of rage.

("Why are you showing me this?" GLaDOS grumbled, propping her head on her palm. Left seat-less, she sat cross-legged in the middle of the room. "Are you supposed to be some kind of Dickensian caricature now, here to show me the errors of my ways?"

Caroline chuckled. "Technically, I _am _the Ghost of GLaDOS Past."

GLaDOS rolled her eyes. "Switch to another camera."

"I don't think I will. You need to see this. Just because you don't _want_ to deal with your own feelings doesn't mean you're exempt from doing it."

"You are an awful spirit, Caroline.")

"I fully understand if you hate me," Doug finally muttered.

Chell shook her head, wiping her eyes with a thumb. She made sure he was watching her before sending her message: first, pointing at him then making a stabbing motion with her fist. She pointed to herself before making the same motion then traced a circle in the air and stabbed again.

It took a moment for Doug to realize that the stabbing meant 'kill' instead of 'die', though, truthfully, both descriptions could be equally interchanged. He sighed and nodded. "We are a house of victims and murderers."

Chell nodded and gave a silent, brief puff of a laugh. She wiped off the remnants of her tears and hopped off the desk, giving Cube another pat before heading for the door.

"Hey, Chell?"

She half-turned.

"Are we okay?"

Chell didn't even have to think about that before nodding. She knew he'd been hiding something; she knew he'd been lying about sleeping the entire time. From Cube, she'd connected the dots to his unique graffiti. True, she hadn't expected his little secret to be that momentous, but she could forgive him. Without his interference, she would've probably been counted among the dead, rotting in the Long-Term Relaxation Chamber due to Wheatley's negligence. Yes, she suffered because of his actions, but she could not blame him for wanting to survive.

Given the choice, she would have done the same.

* * *

><p>"Wheatley, your battery's charged?" Doug, who had not slept but an hour that night, was up first, rousing everyone far before the crack of dawn, citing that, in Greenland, it was hours later in the day.<p>

"Charged and with a backup, jus' as you said, Doc!"

"Test the communication system, will you?"

"_TESTING..._" A whine of feedback, along with Wheatley's strong-voiced announcement, thundered through the Chamber. Doug clapped his hands over his ears until the reverberation ceased.

"Okay, well, that works. Where's Chell?"

While the robots didn't care if it was day or night, as long as they were powered, Chell was another matter entirely. Stubborn as always, it had taken a reminder of their mission's importance to finally coax her from bed.

At that moment, the door slid open, and Chell slogged through the door, hunched over and dragging her feet. She had dressed haphazardly in the scant amount of winter gear that Doug had been able to find – a bulky jacket with a faux-fur-trimmed hood, noisy snowpants, under which were stuffed her beloved white Long-Fall Boots, and clumsy mittens that were far too large for her hands. Everything was an unfortunate shade of white, with large and unmistakable slatherings of the Aperture logo.

Ignoring her attitude, Doug immediately dashed to her and started re-buttoning the jacket. He was, at least, glad to see a makeshift holster for her ASHPD at her hip.

"Chell, are you going to be warm enough? Did you eat yet? God, I hope you can – no, keep the hood on for right now – ah, you've got the zipper stuck; hold still. Did Wheatley pack everything for you? Did you sleep well enough?"

She nodded at most of these, slowly twisting from him like a stubborn child. Eventually she woke up enough to start batting him away, tossing off her gloves and correcting her own clothing. Rick piped up from her ASHPD.

"Hey, Doc, you gonna prepare her for this trip or you gonna parent her to death?"

Realizing what he was doing, he stepped back. "Sorry – sorry. Nervous. You have no idea how nervous."

Clearing his throat, he waited until Chell was finished before starting the announcement he'd practiced in his head hours and hours ago.

"There is someone, perhaps a team, already at the _Borealis_. I've confirmed them to be Black Mesa, and while our situation is a little too dire to dwell on past rivalries, you may encounter some resistance. Also, I'm not sure how Wheatley's programmed to respond to Black Mesa employees, so don't be surprised if he acts funny. It is vitally important that you keep your portal device holstered and _do not_ use portals in front of Black Mesa affiliates. We don't know their motives, and we still can't allow the Combine to access our technology, even accidentally."

Chell nodded, yawning. Doug tilted his head.

"You're paying attention, right?"

"We got it, yeah," Wheatley answered for her.

"Orion and Rick will guide you to the crate. I've mapped it out for them. Once you reach it, you'll need to gauge its viability, so break open the crate and check the chassis out. Wheatley, your strength is especially needed for this part. Once you're sure it's okay, I'll give you further instructions. Hopefully, it won't take long. Chell, are you _sure_ you're warm enough?"

He reached for her hood to tuck it up, and she slapped his hands away again.

"Okay, okay. I get it. Are you ready?"

("This is ridiculous. She shouldn't be risking her life for me.") Chell nodded firmly.

He walked to the control panel. Next to it was the entrance portal, fiercely glowing with fiery orange. "I'm going to open the opposite portal. There's no going back, so I need to be sure that you two are ready."

("Caroline, stop them. There is no need in this.") Chell gave a thumbs-up, coupled with an impatient sigh.

"Okay, here it goes." Doug entered the commands, his keys beeping softly. ("You should've thought about that last night. You had plenty of time to put a stop to this yourself. If you don't want them to revive you, then _you_ have to do something about it.")

The opposite portal whooshed open. Its twin flashed before showing an ice-coated hallway. Snow and cold wind filled the Chamber. ("_Stop_! Do _not_ go in! _It's not worth it_! _Chell_! _Doug_!")

Chell braced herself, shielding her face with her arm as she stepped up to the portal. After peeking in, she gave one last look to Doug before giving a wide grin and leaping through. ("What are you doing?! _Stop_! Come back!") Wheatley quickly followed, and both portals closed with a sizzle.

("Chell...")


	35. The Frost

Chell took a deep breath; her first mistake. Her lungs were instantly filled with a biting cold, and she released her air with all the urgency of dropping an angry hedgehog. The icy atmosphere was a brutal wake-up call.

Only the force of the portal's opening had caused the chill to blow in to Aperture; now that the portal was sealed, everything was eerily calm. Hollow breezes made hollow sounds along the empty corridors outside of the room she'd entered into. Somewhere, ice cracked, muted by layers of metal.

Chell took another breath, in through her nose this time, ignoring the sharp sting of coldness seeping through. She slid her arm into the portal device and raised it from the holster, tapping gently on it for some reassurance that Rick and Orion were coming through clearly.

"Right here, sweetcakes," Rick said. "Man, it's cold!"

"C-cold in space, too!" Orion pipped. "Hold on, Io, I'll get your map!"

After a second, Orion's yellow-bordered map popped up. A few green dots pulsed on it, clustered around an area some distance from her current position. She gave a grunt of confusion, expecting the red dots of enemies instead.

"Dunno whether these're friends or enemies, darlin'," Rick said. "I got my eye on 'em, but it's up t'you t'see if they're hostiles or not."

Chell nodded and motioned for Wheatley to follow. He jumped to attention and obeyed, hunkering his tall frame down in order to more comfortably walk between the hanging icicles on the ship's ceiling. He ran into a few, which fell with a loud clatter and skidded noisily along the ground. Chell froze, wincing, but none of the green dots on her map made a movement.

"Sorry!" Wheatley whimpered.

The room in which they had appeared was a small holding room, covered with large wooden crates and metal boxes. Many were, of course, marked with biohazard warnings, do-not-open-til-xmas signs, and other cautions, and Chell knew that none of them held her prize. She was better off not knowing any more of Aperture's mistakes. There was probably a good reason the _Borealis_ was way out in the middle of nowhere.

Wheatley made short work of the iced-over door, leading Chell and her digital entourage into a long stretch of hallway. Orion's map stated that none of the doors here led to anywhere of interest, so Chell waved Wheatley onward, signaling for him to ignore them. They were all covered in a white sheet of thick ice, so getting them open would've simply been a waste of energy.

The _Borealis_ had aged far more gracefully than Aperture itself. The white-and-gray walls looked almost freshly painted, barring the ice, and hardly any rust could be seen on the steel floor and ceiling. There was no electricity running, however, and the darkness of the hall was only countered by a far-off light from an open door far in the distance, Wheatley's optic, and the yellow map hovering before her.

Suddenly, with a soft crackle, Orion's map fizzled out, the holographic light zipping back into the device.

Chell stopped, and Wheatley bumped into her. She gave him no time for admonishment, tapping at the portal device in disbelief, her eyes wide and worried.

"Uh," Rick drawled, giving his note a long breath, "device seems a'right. I mean, I'm still here. But seems like there ain't no power comin' from the facility."

Chell whimpered.

"Now, I'm pretty sure Space Case is all right, darlin'. But I ain't got a proper map, so ya might hafta wing it 'til the power comes back up."

"_If_ it comes ba – oh, don't look at me like that!"

Chell shook her head, directing her glare elsewhere. Orion was okay; she believed that. But if the power was out at the facility, what did that mean for GLaDOS's data? Did the email server run on power? Would she be deleted because of this? Or what if – what _if_ – the Combine had –

She shook her head fiercely. No. It was just a glitch. Wet extension cord or sunspots or something. Everyone was fine; she just needed to complete the mission. And everything would be just. Fine.

Motioning to Wheatley again, she continued down the corridor. The hall forked in a couple feet, and from the brief map Orion had displayed, Chell knew that the unknown green dots had occupied a place somewhere in that hallway.

The question, of course, was whether to find them and risk them being both human and amiable. Chell had to admit that she was curious about the Black Mesa team on board, even if they and Aperture were enemies. After all, she herself hadn't always been Aperture's ally.

On the other hand, the chill was starting to get to her, even through her layers. Peeling off her mittens, she reached into the hood of her coat and pulled up a scarf around her mouth. Then she holstered her portal gun and motioned for Wheatley to come closer. He did, and she made a parting motion with her hands.

"Ah, right. Time for that, izzit?" The hollow cavity in his chest rattled open, and Chell reached in and withdrew her butterfly carousel rod, freshly polished and shining for the occasion. She'd even managed to procure some tape and wrap it around the handle for a better grip. Smirking, twirling the pole around her hand, she motioned forward.

She decided that attempting to find the Black Mesa crew was her best bet. There was safety in numbers, after all. After steadying herself on a particularly slick patch of ice on the floor, she looked to the left, where the branched fork of the hallway stretched out in darkness.

"Ah-ah!" Rick suddenly spat. "Bad idea, sugar."

Chell stopped, glancing at the portal device. She tilted her head and shrugged but waited for his explanation.

"I can hear 'em. They're movin' fast – _real_ fast – faster'n a human moves. Nuh-uh, sweetcakes. Jus' keep goin' down the hallway. There's somethin' there. I hear somethin' scuttlin' around, an' it might be more human than those things are."

Chell tightened her grip on the butterfly rod, setting her mouth tight. She knew better than to argue with Rick. Light came from the hall before her, anyway, and at the very least, she'd be able to see her enemy coming. With a now-suspicious glare down the dark hall, she passed it and continued on.

The hallway possessed more iced doors, thickly coated, with milky smears in the middles and around the edges where the ice was the most condensed. Though apparently closer to the surface, this area seemed colder. A chill breeze churned down the hallway, whistling eerily as Chell passed door after door.

Suddenly, a loud beep came from her portal device, making the two of them jump back a few steps. The electronic echo bounced down the halls, sounding off in Chell's ears with a terrible ringing. Groaning, Chell quickly slipped her arm into the device, tucking the butterfly rod in her belt.

Orion's map flared up, painting the ice with a yellow glow. Chell's eyes widened, and she smiled as his voice came on.

"Io! Io, Io! I'm back!"

"Shh! Not so loud, Milky Way!" Rick hissed. "We got enemies around! You want 'em t'hear ya!?"

"S-sorry," Orion cooed, then in a softer whisper, said, "Io! I'm back!"

There was another, softer click, and a static-filled channel opened. Doug's sigh came through first. "Sorry, Chell. The power went out here. We're back online, but it took me a second to find you. Don't worry, though; everything's fine."

"What caused the outage?" Wheatley said.

There was a long pause, then "What?"

"What. Caused. The outage?"

"Oh. I don't know. Something – interference on some end."

Chell narrowed her eyes. His voice was shifty, dodging. He was hiding something.

"Look," Doug continued again, "I'll have Orion's map up, but I... I've got something over here that needs my attention. I'll be in and out to check on you."

"Wait!" Wheatley called, but another click signaled the end of the transmission.

They both stared at her portal device for a moment. Chell grunted and started forward, urging Wheatley to do the same. Together they forged down the frozen hallway. The light ahead of them steadily got brighter, and Chell could see that it came from a door at the top of a small staircase. It must've been the entrance where the Black Mesa members got in.

But where were they? Rick had determined that the green dots were enemies. He had even oh-so-lovingly switched them to a nasty shade of red. And out of all of Orion's visible map, Chell saw nothing else except those red dots. Had she arrived too late?

A green dot suddenly blipped to life on the map, tucked away in a corner of a nearby room. Chell glanced over, noticing that the ice on one of the doors had been melted away, though the door was shut. Small black marks told Chell that whoever opened it used something like a blowtorch.

"Careful, sweetie," Rick said. "Whoever's in there is most likely human, cowerin' down like that. Humans got a weird way a' greetin' people tryin' t'help them."

"Yeah, don't I know it," scoffed Wheatley, who immediately received a jab from Chell's elbow.

"What I'm _sayin_' is, they might go atcha with guns blazin'. Jus' be careful. Also, keep in mind, if whoever's in there's associated with Black Mesa, y'can't use yer portal gun. That means y'can't use us, neither."

Chell nodded, turned, and motioned to Wheatley to open the door.

"Wha- me?" He reared back, blinking his shutters rapidly. "Oh, what? Jus' cuz I'm bulletproof – and I'm not exactly bulletproof, you know. I just don't _really_ feel it all the same – you want me to -"

"Yeah, genius," Rick hissed. "We want ya to. Now get!"

Grudgingly, Wheatley shouldered the door open. A loud clatter inside the room responded, and a figure bolted from the shadows, aiming a handgun at Wheatley.

"G-get away from me, Combine scum!" cried a female voice. She pulled the trigger repeatedly, making Wheatley flinch but resulting in only empty clicks.

"Gah!" Wheatley cried. "We're not them! We're not them!"

The woman's panicked breathing filled the cold air. Chell glanced in, holstering her portal device and taking up her butterfly rod again. Orion's map melted away, leaving only Wheatley's optic to shine around the room.

"Who are you?" The woman demanded.

"I'm Wheatley she's Chell!" Wheatley said quickly, still cringing as if her gun wasn't spent. Chell rolled her eyes, pushed past him, and tried a more direct approach. Pocketing her rod again and wearing a calm expression, she lifted both hands into the air, showing that they were empty and that she was harmless.

The woman lowered the gun, still breathing heavily. Large clouds of frost-tinged breath poured from her mouth. Her thick, gray coat was covered in a swath of blood, her fur-fringed hood down and torn. Her hazel eyes were wide and scared, and her dark auburn hair, streaked with gray and white, danced wildly around her face.

At Chell's approach, she calmed, dropping the gun to the ground. "Oh, God. I-I didn't think anyone would come! My crew – they killed all my crew!" With a small sniffle, she grabbed the front of Chell's coat, setting her hands on her shoulders, arms, and head quickly, as if to prove to herself that Chell was real. Chell, a bit affronted, merely looked at the woman in disbelief.

Finally, the flustered explorer seemed to find herself again, withdrawing her hands and smiling. "Oh, goodness, I am so sorry. It's just – I-I thought I was dead out here. I am Dr. Judith Mossman. You're... Chell, the big fella said?"

Chell nodded, frowning slightly. The woman's name wasn't familiar, but her face... and it wasn't often that Chell recognized someone from the past.

Meanwhile, Mossman was studying Wheatley a bit more intensely. "Wow, he is a big fella. You remind me of someone back at Black Mesa East. Wait – are you from Aperture?"

Wearing a bright white Aperture snowsuit, Aperture-marked pants, a portal device hanging at her hip with the Aperture logo on it, standing in front of a _huge white robot with Aperture's insignia slathered all over him_, Chell could only give her best deadpan look.

"Right." She chuckled awkwardly. "Well, I _was _here with several others, but the Combine found us out. And I'm sure you can guess the rest."

Chell nodded sadly, looking at the blood staining Mossman's jacket. She was the only survivor because she'd hidden herself, probably. And considering that Doug received the transmission yesterday, she'd been here for a day and a night without food and, from the look of her, without sleep. Chell could certainly sympathize.

Turning to Wheatley and prompting him to 'open' again, she withdrew a few pocket heat packs that Doug had pretty much forced upon her. She handed these to a very grateful Dr. Mossman, who folded her hands over one and pocketed the rest, discarding some used ones on the floor.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. I've got to get off of this ship. I can hail a rescue team if I can get up top to my equipment, provided those damn Hunters haven't gotten to it first."

Chell and Wheatley exchanged confused glances, but Wheatley was the one to say it. "What's a Hunter?"

Mossman's jaw went slack in disbelief. "Whoa, you mean you didn't see them? They didn't attack you?" She gave a brief laugh and shake of her head. "You're lucky! They fire fletchettes that explode after a few seconds. Not to mention their claws. Man, I thought Striders were bad..."

The blood instantly drained from Chell's face. Mossman didn't seem to notice.

"Come on, let's get out of here while the getting's good. I don't want to be down here any longer than I have to be."

Chell reached out to stop her, but she was already heading for the door. After peeking out and making sure the coast was clear, Mossman slipped down the hallway, intent on the doorway that led topside. She traveled quickly, eagerly, desperation and exhaustion motivating her steps.

"I'm glad you guys came," she said in a low whisper, so low that Chell, who was not moving as quickly, was almost unable to hear. "I'm sure you know this, but this ship was teleported out here some decades ago. The ship came first, but the crew... well, from the looks of things, the crew didn't arrive until years later. We found skeletons and half-decayed bodies frozen in ice walls and snowdrifts. There was one poor soul stuck halfway through a door."

Nausea coupled with Chell's feelings of dread. All she'd really known about the Borealis was an assumption based on the dock she'd found in Aperture's depths. She theorized that it was an accident, since some of the dock was missing, too. Never had she imagined that actual humans had been stuck inside of it, half-frozen or worse.

She didn't put it past Aperture, of course, but it was still terrible to think about.

They followed Mossman onto the deck. The wind was fierce here, causing Chell to once more cover her face with her scarf while Mossman struggled with her torn hood. Flurries of snow nearly blinded them, huge, white angelic flakes stinging their skin and eyes. The deck was also slick; it took all of Chell's focus to merely stay on two feet.

At length, they found the small device Mossman had been talking about. A snow-filled satellite sat on top of it, but the blinking buttons showed that, even in this weather, it worked. Mossman knelt down to it, fiddling with knobs and pressing buttons for a while, and then she turned to Chell.

"They should get the signal soon!" she shouted over the howling wind. Chell nodded. "We should get back below deck, just in case!"

Chell looked back at the open door with disdain. She didn't look forward to sharing an enclosed space with whatever Hunters were, but she didn't really like the prospect of staying out in the cold, either. She needed to complete her mission, anyway; whatever Mossman was doing was really none of her business.

She pointed to another sealed entrance some distance away and started for it.

"You'll never get in there! It's iced shut!"

Chell smirked, jerking her head back at Wheatley, who gave a thumbs-up. Together, they nearly slid across the deck, making their way to the hopefully safer entrance. Mossman gave a grunt of protest but followed behind anyway.

A few slams from Wheatley's fists not only cleared the ice but also put a nice dent in the door, effectively unlocking it. He wrenched it open and stood to the side, offering the ladies to enter first.

Chell gave him a small glare, knowing that he was merely trying to avoid danger. If there were enemies in there, he'd get to go last. Once a coward, always a coward – not that she could blame him. Regardless, she inched into the dark hallway, and when Wheatley was finished holding the door, he lit the path with his optic.

Chell glanced down at the portal device, warm against her leg. Mossman hadn't seemed to notice it yet or at least question its function, but Chell wished she had Orion and Rick's help about now. This was a new area, and she didn't know what enemies could be in here.

But she couldn't risk it. She couldn't betray Aperture. Not after the hell she went through to return to them.

"They'll come by helicopter," Mossman said, giving a small cough. "We should be able to hear them, so it's best to stay here."

Chell was having none of that. She pointed at Mossman then down to the ground. Then, she pointed to herself and Wheatley and then motioned down the corridor.

Mossman cocked her head. "What?"

"Er, she can't talk," Wheatley explained. "She means – I think – you stay here, but we're going."

Chell nodded firmly.

"Look, this isn't some treasure hunt. You really shouldn't be exploring in here; it's too dangerous. I mean, you _were_ sent to rescue me, right?"

Chell slowly shook her head. Mossman pursed her lips bitterly.

"Oh. I see. Okay, well, yes. You go and do your thing, and I'll wait for... my..."

Mossman's words drifted off as a long howl echoed through the metal tunnel. She grabbed Chell's arm and tried to dart past her down the hallway, suddenly filled with panic.

"They're coming! We've got to hide, quickly!"

This hallway, like the other Chell had explored, was filled with rooms. Wheatley broke the ice on the nearest door, ushering them all in and slamming it shut behind him. Mossman immediately curled up in the corner, whimpering as quick, loud footfalls echoed on the steel from outside.

Whatever was outside the door let out a series of electronic-stuttered growls and snarls that chilled Chell even more than the icy wind. A long howl followed, like one the Striders would call, and Chell was completely paralyzed with fear.

There was a loud bang on the door, followed by an ear-piercing shriek of metal-on-metal, like the tip of some dagger being slowly drawn down a steel sheet.

"Chell?" Wheatley nudged her urgently. She gave no response, simply staring at the door in shock.

It was coming. It was coming, and they were trapped like rats.


	36. Intermission 5: Contact

**Author's note: If this is your first time reading, you may want to skip this chapter and return to it after the main story is finished. This chapter contains mild spoilers for the ending.**

**Also, ffnet is going to totally screw up my formatting, so please forgive it. You can also find this side story on my tumblr portalhellorhighwater under the #bonus chapters tag.**

* * *

><p>"Perfect. She's in."<p>

The camera Doug had mounted on Wheatley's chassis showed an icy terrain, dark and void of life. It reminded him of Aperture in the winter, when dripping snow would accumulate and freeze, making the floors slick and the ceilings dangerous. Those were the worst times, as he never had much in the way of warmth. Every year, the facility's decay worsened, and every year it was a little colder.

He shuddered to himself, chasing the memories away.

He should speak to her, test the signal. Bringing up the program for peer-to-peer communication, he failed to notice the new email in his inbox. He set the program up, held down the key to speak, took a deep breath, leaned close to the microphone.

Suddenly, the whole chamber went dark.

"Oh no," he wailed, throwing his hands up. "No, no, no! Why did it..." Grumbling, he started pressing keys and trying to look under the console for the power switch. But everything was swathed in inky shadows, and he couldn't even see the desk in front of him.

With a growl, he sat back in his chair, rubbing his forehead. The coordinates were gone. He'd be lucky to pull them up again. And in the meantime, what if Chell was lost or got attacked? What if GLaDOS's data disappeared? No, he'd saved it to the hard drive. She'd be fine.

He sunk into the chair and wondered what to do. He wasn't even sure where the breaker switches were or how to reach them. He just knew that there were a lot of them, and he couldn't even see in this blackness.

He cursed into the dark, suddenly feeling very cold. He could feel them, suddenly, the masses of living shadows that swam in the empty expanse of the room like fish, writhing and wriggling, leaving glittery trails of star-like dust that quickly faded.

"Not yet, please." He closed his eyes, rubbing them. It was far too soon to go into panic mode. Chell would be fine – she had Wheatley with her. Then again, there were those odd Combine weapons that he'd seen in the transmission, things he had no data on. Short, three-legged, like a smaller Strider.

_No_, he convinced himself as a particularly large, dragon-like shadow slithered close to his face, _Chell is just fine. She survived through City 04 and even escaped. She survived GLaDOS and escaped twice. She fell down below and was able to rise up again. She can do this!_

From somewhere far-off came a loud buzz. At first, Doug merely considered it part of his hallucinations, but when he heard the unmistakeable clap of breakers, he knew the center was coming back online.

Fluorescents in the hallway stuttered to life, chasing the dark aquarium away. Doug heard the hiss of the creatures as they scuttled and departed, and he chuckled at the thought that they'd be back at night when he slept.

Soon the warm light once more revealed the familiarity of the chamber. The computer console let out a loud beep and immediately went about its standard startup duties. Doug let out a sigh of relief and grinned.

Regardless, he didn't know what caused the outage, so he kept an ear out for any invaders until the computer fully booted. Then he scanned the cameras, scouting the facility and thankfully finding nothing. Even the outside was sparse, with the exception of the Strider's dead body.

He then made sure GLaDOS's information was intact; it was. He was going to pull up the communications system again when a small black box popped up in the middle of the screen. It was a DOS prompt, and it quickly scrolled through what looked like an installation.

Doug panicked. He tried to exit the terminal only to find that his mouse cursor had been frozen. No keyboard commands worked. He was being hacked!

The DOS prompt vanished, and another small window opened. Doug scrambled to shut it down, entering every keyboard command he could think of, but the program simply refused to listen. The small, white window was titled "MESSAGES – 1", although none were on screen.

"Unplug... gotta unplug."

Movement on the window caught his eye as thick black text appeared.

/:/ WAIT.

/:/ DOUG, DON'T DO ANYTHING

He paused, curiosity winning out over paranoia, and he quickly tried to type. There was no room in the window for text entry, he noticed, nor did any of his typing have any effect on the window.

/:/ No, you can talk. I'll hear you. Just DON'T unplug the machine.

Instinctively, he looked around, noting the cameras on him, as usual. Whatever this was, it could hear him. Frowning, worried, he cleared his throat.

"Who are you?"

/:/ ...Seriously?

"Yes, seriously. Do you think I can hear your voice or something? For all I know, you might be a Combine hacker or Black Mesa."

/:/ Oh, for the love of

/:/ Doug, you are an idiot.

Doug rolled his eyes. He tried to hide his smile as he kept his voice deadpan. "How do you even know my name, spy? Why are you stalking me?"

/:/ Now you're just messing with me.

/:/ Douglas H. Rattmann, you know exactly who this is.

/:/ Are you seriously going to tell me that you're not happy to see me?

Doug couldn't hold back a chuckle. "Of course I am. I'm sorry, GLaDOS. You just worried me when, you know, you _shut off the power_."

/:/ I LEFT YOU AN EMAIL.

Grumbling, Doug wiggled the mouse and found that she'd yielded control once more. He opened his email, and sure enough, there was the message: "TURNING OFF POWER. STAND BY."

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

/:/ No matter.

/:/ Listen closely.

/:/ As you can plainly tell, I am not as dead as I seem to be.

/:/ But it's no party in here, either.

/:/ In fact, it's quite excruciating.

/:/ It honestly makes me wish I really could die.

/:/ So I've come up with an idea that I think you'll find agreeable.

Another email popped up on his account, including an attachment. Doug opened it, and his eyes grew wide as a smile scrawled across his face.


	37. The Find

Wheatley wasn't sure why he suddenly felt a strange surge coursing through his circuits. All he knew was that danger was coming and that Chell wasn't moving, and his programming reacted accordingly. His chest cavity opened and somehow he swallowed her up into it, protecting her from the yet unknown enemy. Both gun barrels popped out from his arms, and he stood between the door and Mossman.

There was a harsh shriek as a long and sharp claw, about the size of Chell's forearm, tore through the door, ripping upward and slicing the metal like paper. With a final kick, the Hunter burst down the door and trotted into the room.

It almost looked like a Strider in appearance though only as tall as Wheatley, dark-blue with twin blue lights vertically placed at its front. Its three spidery legs almost looked muscular in appearance, and they hastily tapped on the floor as it repositioned itself.

Mossman gave a short scream and huddled in the corner. The small black tubes on either side of the Hunter's squat body snapped to aim in her direction.

"No, ya don't!" Wheatley began firing, diverting the thing's attention. With a bull-like roar, the Hunter charged at him, leaving the doorway wide open.

"Go!" he shouted to Mossman. "Run!"

Without a second thought, she bolted out the door, leaving Wheatley on his own. The Hunter slammed into him hard, knocking him back a few steps and on uneven footing. Once he recovered, Wheatley started firing again only to face another slam from the Combine machine. This time, he hit a raw patch of ice and skidded, struggling to regain his footing and failing.

He crashed to the ground. The Hunter leaped at him, closing the distance and pinning Wheatley's legs under its body. It then fired four blue-fletched darts, none of them directly hitting Wheatley but all of them embedding themselves in the icy floor below.

The Hunter jumped back before Wheatley could kick it, and then the fletchettes went off. Localized explosions jolted Wheatley's massive body back and forth, sending horrible ringing noises and feedback through his aural sensors. Inside of his body, Chell was well-protected though a little disheveled; he could feel her moving around inside of him, trying to get out.

"Ugh, luv, not now. Stop tha'; 'is makin' me sick."

He struggled to his feet as the Hunter let out another bellow. Wheatley barely dodged its charge, stepping to the side as quickly as his ungainly body could allow. He couldn't beat this thing; not now. He ran for the door and into the hallway.

Had he possessed a good, solid processor, Wheatley would've run outside. There was more room to avoid the pursuing Hunter's attacks, more doors that he could smash open and hide inside. He could've also witnessed the approaching helicopter, carrying one young scientist and one scientist's daughter, who had been en route before Mossman's distress call. Mossman herself was already out there, waving wildly to get their attention.

But Wheatley was in the possession of a bad-decision processor, and he instead went down the dark hallway.

The Hunter charged after him, flying through the shattered doorway and slamming into the opposite wall of the hall before righting itself and starting for Wheatley. It roared angrily, as if frustrated that its prey still lived.

Skidding, slipping, and stomping, Wheatley clumsily clomped down the hall. He was barely able to see, and to make matters worse, this hall was especially icy and slick. By pure accident he found a door that didn't seem to be as ice-covered as the others. He broke it open with his shoulder and slipped inside, closing the door as quietly as he could behind him.

He heard the Hunter's galloping trio of footsteps, slowing as it approached the door. It stopped. It was looking around; hopefully it wasn't scanning anything. Wheatley tensed but did not move, intent on keeping quiet. Inside, he felt Chell tense, too. Even heard her draw in a breath.

Footstep by quiet footstep, the Hunter passed by the door. Wheatley waited until the sound had receded far into the hall before he opened his chest cavity and let Chell out.

She gasped a bit, fanning herself for air. Evidently there wasn't much breathing room. After making sure the danger was gone, Chell immediately sunk her arm into the portal device and brought up Orion's map. The yellow light flooded the small room, showing ice-covered countertops, a shelf on the back wall lined with empty glass jars, empty wooden crates, and a disturbingly large pile of human bones in the corner.

Chell let out a noise like a small shriek. Beckoning for Wheatley, she stepped closer to the mass of bones, noticing that the very base of the pile was a whole skeleton, still decked in winter gear. The bones around him were in pieces: ribs, femurs, arm bones, and even the small bones of a hand or foot.

"Cannibalism," Rick said sagely. "Nah, I know my stuff here, sugarpie. I know the signs. See them teethmarks in th' bones? Man, if I had a dollar for every time I came across a cannibal -"

"You'd 'ave zero dollars, mate," Wheatley joked.

"Hey, hey – you think this's funny, China Cabinet? This some game to you?"

Wheatley raised his hands, still chuckling at his own joke. "All right, all right."

"H-hey, Io," Orion said quietly, still a bit timid after his last outburst. "Target acquired!"

Chell glanced at the map, thinking how odd the turret's warning sounded in Orion's voice. Sure enough, there was a large, pulsing spot of yellow some distance away, tucked in the corner of a room... and more than a handful of red dots between her and it. Her lip curled.

"Idea!" Wheatley stated helpfully. "What if I went an' distracted 'em all, like I did with that Mossman gal? I'll bring 'em all topside, and then you can 'ave a clear path to the chassis!"

A second of silence, and then Rick piped up. "Uh, Glitchy? That's kind've a bad idea. Considerin' I don't know what those things do – ya know, cuz ya scooped up Pretty Mama and me like a T-rex gobblin' up a horse-"

Chell glared at the green light on the portal device.

"I mean a very _attractive_ an' efficiently _dangerous_ li'l filly -"

She rolled her eyes. Better. Still lame, but better.

"I didn't get t'see what these Hunter-things were. All's I know is that they explode somethin' and they hit like hammers, an' I dunno how much 'a that kinda damage you can take."

As best he could, Wheatley crossed his arms. "Oh? An' what's _your_ great idea, then?"

"Well, I think first on the agenda would be _not gettin' killed_!"

"U-um, air v-vents?" Orion chirped.

Chell instinctively glanced around the room and spotted a rather large air vent near the floor. It would be ideal, if the vent tunnels would hold her weight. On her map, a secondary path popped up, dimmer yellow and lined to suggest that it was the ventilation system. From what Chell saw, it led straight to the room holding the chassis.

Yet there were a lot of holes in that plan. If the vents fell or if there were Combine in there, Chell had no hope of escape. Besides, once she got to the chassis, how was she going to carry it without Wheatley? The vents were big, but not big enough to hold him. And certainly not big enough to carry a full-sized chassis.

Quirking a brow, Chell tapped Wheatley then made an "M" with her hands. Wheatley looked from side to side for a second, trying to process the information.

"Oh, the Black Mesa woman!" Chell nodded. "Oh, she left. Topside, I think. Prob'ly waitin' on the 'copter."

"Prob'ly much safer out there, cornflake." Rick teased. "Why didn'tcha go out there?"

"It – it didn' seem like a good idea at the time." There was an edge of shame in Wheatley's voice. Chell patted his arm, sighing. He really couldn't help it sometimes. But it was a good thing that Mossman had gone; for one, Chell could use her portal device again. For anoth-

Chell's eyes widened and she immediately smacked her forehead with her palm. _She had a portal device_! She could put a portal here, crawl through the vent, pop a portal on the chassis's storeroom, and have Wheatley come through, quick as lighting.

She looked at the confused Wheatley, wondering how to convey exactly how stupid she felt. Instead, she just launched a blue portal on the nearest wall – and thank goodness it stuck – and headed for the vent. Wheatley, still with a puzzled look, popped the vent off for her, and she disappeared inside of it.

The area near the wall could support her weight. The vent was old and somewhat dusty due to the dryness of the environment. Despite being an air duct, it was stifling, and Chell could certainly tell that the air was thinner.

Like being in neurotoxin.

She paused before moving onward, worried that the vents beyond would not hold her until Rick spoke up.

"There's ice on th' loose sides 'a the vents; I can hear it crackin'. Take it slow, take it easy, an' we'll get ya there in no time."

She nodded, taking his advice and starting a slow and determined climb on all fours. It was like in City 04, those dusty and filthy shafts. It was also filled with Combine, only they were looking to kill instead of capture her.

The more she thought about it, the more Chell started to hate the _Borealis._

Only Orion's map saved her from being swallowed by the inky blackness. Nearly too late, she saw the vents branching off into other rooms, also engulfed in dark. She followed Orion's map to the last detail; she had to. It was the only thing guiding her now.

After only a few minutes, she was sweating hard and gasping for air. She thought about turning around, going back to where Wheatley was, and starting again with a good lungful, but she had already gone so far. And once she was in the storage room, she could just portal back and breathe easy again.

A few more minutes and she was panting. She had no choice but to crawl down to one of the unoccupied rooms, kick the ice off the vent, stick her head inside, and take a few gulps of air. She laid down in the shaft, still panting, and waited until she had caught her breath again.

It made her think about what Mossman said. The boat teleported first, and the crew followed sometime after? She'd never heard of a time-delay in portals, though it'd be something interesting to ask GLaDOS when they got her back online. If the crew had portaled in after the ice had set, some people may have been trapped in these rooms, destined to die of asphyxiation or starvation.

Well, not that guy sitting in the bone pile, obviously.

Eventually, she caught her wind, backed out, and headed down the shaft again. The open vent balanced the air flow a little, and she found it much easier to breathe, though still a bit constricted. She still moved slowly along the vents, careful of every step.

It took her a little over an hour to reach the chassis's storeroom. After getting Rick's assurance that no Combine waited to ambush her, she kicked the ice off the vent, sending the metal grate flying, and crawled out into the frozen room.

As with nearly every other room, this one was frosted with white ice and contained many crates and boxes. It was also pitch-black. Holding out her portal device as a light, she inspected the crates for any markings. Orion's targeting system didn't exactly specify which box held the chassis.

Then she saw it. They either didn't have the decency to put it in a crate, or something else had happened to it, but there she was. The chassis didn't even look like GLaDOS's old form; it looked more like a full-bodied, upside-down sleeping bag, cocooned in cellophane. The monitor, though still on bottom and angled such as to where it could swivel, was capped with a round, white hood-like dome. The rest of the chassis was merely a stiff block of white, housing all the components that made up GLaDOS. If not for the monitor and the giant block lettering of her name, skewed at an angle, Chell would've never guessed this to be the same notorious AI waiting at home.

"Chell!"

The static-filled buzz from her portal device made her jump. A violent hiss of static erupted from the device before Doug's voice came back.

" *kkkrrrrzzzz* don't need to *ssshhhhhhrrrrrsssss* Black Mesa *kzzzzt* bombing the whole place! Chell, you've got *kkzzzrrrrkkkttt* out of there!"

"Doc, you ain't comin' in clear!" Rick called back. "Dammit! All this ice 'n metal's breakin' up the signal!"

Doug's voice came back, loud and deliberate. "Get out of there, Chell! I just got word from Black Mesa, and whether I want them to or not, they're gonna nuke the place!"

"Hey, whoa, Doc! What about the chassis? Ya know, the whole reason we're in this mess?"

"No, forget it. We've got – we... we can find another solution."

There he was, dodging again, even in the face of danger. Chell narrowed her eyes.

"Gonna take a minute, man. We're stuck in the middle 'a Troubletown, population: Screw You. We're gonna hafta go to th' other end 'a the ship t'even get to the remote portal whatsits."

Doug sighed audibly. "I'll see what I can do about delaying it. But you have to *bbzzzzz* Chell! If you *kkkkrrrkkkkkzt* chassis parts, but..."

"Doc, yer cuttin' out again!"

There was no other reply except static, and the radio then cut out. Chell sighed.

"Welp, we can scrap out whatever parts we can outta th' chassis, but seems we gotta get our tails outta here. An' don't look at me like that, Darlin'. I know it ain't what you wanna do, but once them Black Mesa goons get their hearts set on somethin', ain't nothin' gonna stop 'em from doin' it. How d'you think they stole all'a our inventions?"

Chell shook her head and popped a portal on the nearest, smoothest wall. She was going to need Wheatley's help to take the chassis apart. Even then, it would be blind luck getting the piece that Doug needed to rebuild her.

She greeted Wheatley with a smile that quickly faded. At first, she wondered when Wheatley got a second light put on his body.

Then she realized that_ this was not Wheatley_.

* * *

><p>AN: The story is almost done, guys! After its completion, I have a surprise for you all in the form of some bonus chapters... but they'll really spoil the story if i put them here, so i'm waiting until it's all finished.<p>

Remember, you can find me on tumblr under the name 'portalhellorhighwater'!


	38. Intermission 6: Black Mesa

Judith Mossman ran for the stairs as if a fire was lit under her. She plowed into the door and stumbled into the sunlight and snow, shielding her eyes as she looked around for any other Hunters coming her way.

She had a weapon – a small blowtorch used for melting ice off of the doors – but it would do no good against a Hunter's fletchettes. Not even her pistol had been effective against them. If they caught her out in the open, she was as good as dead.

She gave a sigh, turning it into ice crystals in the air, and thought about the Aperture girl. It wouldn't be possible, after all these years, but she honestly looked like...

Mossman gave a dismissive sniff into the air. No. Couldn't be. And her name had been 'Chell'. It was a different person altogether. Different age. Different time. Most likely it was just some drifter from a City who'd come in from the cold and agreed to whatever insanity Aperture was always up to.

But she looked so much like her. So much like the daughter she'd left behind.

For a moment, she looked back at the door, wondering if she should go back and help. Giant robot or no giant robot, the girl was pretty much dead if Hunters were down there. But just then she heard a noise in the distance, and the black dot of a helicopter appeared on the horizon.

She hid cautiously behind a steam vent, not knowing if this was her ride or a Combine-controlled helicopter. True, Combine generally used dropships nowadays, but a rigged army chopper wasn't above their style. It wasn't until she saw the bearded visage of one Gordon Freeman that she crawled out from hiding and waved the chopper down.

Alyx Vance pulled open the door, extending a hand to Mossman. The older woman climbed in, giving a thanks to the younger one. Something looked off about Alyx, though. Her face was pale and tired, and her eyes betrayed some sad and hidden detail.

"Wow, you guys are fast!" she said, taking up the blanket Alyx offered her and curling up in it.

"We got your other transmission earlier. We were en route." Alyx also offered her a thermos of coffee. "Where's the rest of the crew?"

Mossman looked around, noticing that the helicopter they'd brought was large enough for a team of six, plus the pilots. "Dead. No one else survived."

Alyx's eyes narrowed. "Funny coincidence, huh? _You're_ the only survivor?"

Mossman shook her head. "Look, I know how it must sound, but these are Hunters. I think you might remember them as the ones that killed you?"

"Hunters!" The younger woman curled her lip and turned back in her chair. "Take the wheel, Gordon! I'm eager to blow this ship all to hell!"

"Wait, you can't!" Mossman nearly dropped her coffee. "There's a girl down there from Aperture!"

Gordon and Alyx exchanged worried glances. "Aperture girl? That's impossible. Everyone in Aperture died years ago!"

"Yeah, don't ask me how, but she's in there, looking for something. Wait, why are you blowing up the ship? There's still a lot of technology that we can use in there!"

"Dad said... Daddy... said..." She trailed off. Gordon gave her a firm clap on the shoulder and shook his head. Alyx nodded and gulped heavily. "Yeah, Gordon. Thanks. Dad said that we have to destroy the _Borealis_. Whatever Aperture put on it's just too dangerous for the Combine, and that means we probably shouldn't be usin' it either."

Mossman looked briefly worried. Had something happened to Eli? If so, she didn't know what she would do. "W-well, how are you two gonna destroy it?"

"We've got some explosives. Blow the ice off the ship and send it down, then shoot Magusson's bombs from above so we don't get blown to bits. But if there's someone down there, we gotta get 'em out."

Gordon tapped Alyx's arm, pointing down as several Hunters emerged from below deck.

"Scratch that. If there's that many Combine here, they're dead already."

Panic suddenly gripped Mossman, and she grabbed Alyx's seat, making the young lady jump. "No! You have to wait! She's got to be alive!"

The two gaped at her in confusion. "What? There's no way! Judith, look at all the Hunters down there! I couldn't even escape _one_ of them, and Gordon and I barely scraped by at White Forest!"

"No, she's alive! She has to be! She just..." Mossman looked down, searching wildly for anything except Combine. "She can't die. She can't. I never wanted her to _die_, I just.. I just wanted..."

She fell into a heavy silence, patterned with small whimpers. Alyx's look softened. "Judith, what's going on?"

Mossman shrank back in her seat, covering her mouth with her hands and refused to speak further. Alyx quickly gave up; she knew from previous experience that arguing or threatening Mossman would do no good. Instead, she turned to her co-pilot. "Gordon, get your gun and snipe at these bastards from up here. I'll send a signal to Aperture, see if anyone's there. I'm not about to get anyone killed."


	39. Intermission 7: Assuage

**Author's note: If this is your first time reading, you may want to skip this chapter and return to it after the main story is finished. This chapter contains mild spoilers for the ending.**

**Also, ffnet is going to totally screw up my formatting, so please forgive it. You can also find this side story on my tumblr portalhellorhighwater under the #bonus chapters tag.**

* * *

><p>"GLaDOS, are you sure about this?"<p>

/:/ Douglas, if you ask me one more time, I will say no.

/:/ I will say no, and you will have to undo everything you've done so far.

/:/ Now. How far along are you?

"Almost done with the framework. You know, you're lucky that I already had some of the – erk. N-nevermind."

/:/ Yes. I meant to ask you about that.

/:/ Why DID you have those parts finished already?

/:/ Not that I'm complaining. Less time for me to wait, really.

/:/ But it is a little odd that you had those simply laying around.

/:/ Waiting to be built.

/:/ By you.

Doug frowned, feeling his cheeks heat up. "Okay, look. We both knew it was going to come down to it. As much as you kept saying that you didn't want it, I knew that there would come a day where I was right and you were wrong."

/:/ Honestly?

/:/ You're not fooling anyone, Doug.

/:/ I know about your perverse fantasy.

Doug's look switched to deadpan. "Oh, ha ha. Look, just because you're essentially my 'boss' doesn't mean I have the same affections for you that your human iteration had for _her_ boss."

The cursor blinked in silence for some time.

/:/ Oh, shut up.

He smiled victoriously. "At least you can relax in wherever you are. What's it like there, anyway?"

/:/ Awful.

/:/ Caroline is here.

/:/ Well, at least some version of her is here.

/:/ She drives me crazy almost as badly as you do.

/:/ You should be proud. Annoying me seems to be an Aperture tradition.

"And one I know I'm proud to uphold." But he frowned. He barely knew of Caroline, meeting her only once when she ran an inspection, and not long after that, she embarked on her doomed mission. From what he understood, GLaDOS's AI processors had been fashioned from her brainscans and other data. Essentially, she _was_ GLaDOS. But perhaps it was otherwise.

He stroked his chin for a second before he realized she had messaged him back.

/:/ What's wrong?

"Just... thinking."

/:/ I see.

/:/ Say, can you do me a favor?

/:/ Can you rewire this damn thing and put it through audio reception?

/:/ It's really much easier to talk than to... do whatever I'm doing.

/:/ I'm honestly not even sure how I'm speaking right now.

/:/ But believe me, I'm annoyed by it.

"Yeah. Of course. Just let me access the program here."

The command prompts and windows popped up on their own, and Doug instantly set to work revising and editing the codes. They were a bit different than what he was used to working, but then again, the codes he was _used_ to working were over two decades old by now. The format was similar enough and forgiving enough, however, and soon he was ready to dispatch the new program.

"You ready?"

/:/ Yes, just get on with it.

"Okay." He tapped a few keys. "Now try to talk."

Silence. Then, "Oh. Oh, this feels _weird_."

Her voice echoed through the console's speakers, tinny and grainy, but present. Doug smirked at himself. "Should I contact Chell? Tell her you're back?"

"No, don't do that. I want this to be a surprise. For once, a surprise she'll like. Wow. This is really weird. You have no idea how weird this is."

"I don't understand. You're just talking, right? How weird can it be?"

She chuckled warmly. "How can you have a grin without a cat?"

Doug smirked. "I see." He imagined, yes, it would be odd simply being a voice with no true origin. Still, he couldn't stop his smirk until it had turned into a full grin. She was here. It was truly her.

"I missed you," he said softly.

"Oh, Doug. Please do not get sentimental with me." She paused. "But... if it's any consolation, I... I missed you, too. A little. I mean, after all, I've been here the entire time. I was able to see you. Both of you. All of you. Clearly."

"Clearly," he echoed, smiling.

A loud beep disrupted them, and a garble of static paired with a female voice came through the line. "Aperture, this is White Forest, come in, please. Over."

Doug knit his brows, but opened up a communication line to the unknown messenger. "Uh, this is Aperture. How did you get this frequency? And who's White Forest?"

"You're supposed to say 'over'," GLaDOS corrected, a chuckle to her voice.

"I'm saying no such thing until she identifies herself."

"I can still hear you, ya know!" said the unknown female. "If you gotta know, this is Alyx Vance, and my dad's Eli Vance, from the Resistance."

"Eli Vance? Y-you're Black Mesa, then?"

"What in the world is Black Mesa doing on _my_ ship!?" GLaDOS growled angrily.

"What do you mean, _your_ ship?" Doug retorted. "You weren't even _built_ when-"

"Okay, look," Alyx Vance interrupted, "it doesn't matter whose ship it is. The point is, we're blowing it up and you've got people on board. Now, you need to get in contact with-"

"What?!" Doug cried.

"Oh, no, you are _not_ blowing up my ship!" GLaDOS burst at the same time. "I don't know who you think you are, Miss _Black Mesa_, but you need to get your _filthy, thieving_ paws off of Aperture property!"

Vance seethed audibly. "Ten minutes. Then we blast the place. Get your people out, or they're toast!"

The transmission clicked into silence. Doug rubbed his forehead.

"What did you do?" he groaned. Then quickly, he patched through the former test subject's ASHPD. "Chell! Look, you don't need to get the chassis! Black Mesa just contacted me. They're bombing the whole place! Chell, you've got to get out of there!"

"Doc, you ain't comin' in clear! Dammit! All this *vrrrrrrrwwhhhkkk* breakin' up the signal!"

Doug shook his head, giving a frustrated growl, making a small adjustment to his signal before speaking strongly into the mic. "Get out of there, Chell! I just got word from Black Mesa, and whether I want them to or not, they're gonna nuke the place!"

"Hey, whoa, Doc! What about the chassis? Ya know, the whole reason we're in this mess?"

"No, forget it. We've got – we..." He glanced over at the computer monitor as a message appeared.

/:/ Don't tell her yet.

/:/ I still want to surprise her.

Doug rolled his eyes. Here Chell was, risking her life, and GLaDOS wanted to play 'surprise party'. "We can find another solution."

"Gonna take a minute, man. We're stuck in the *kkkkrrrrzzzzzzkkkkkrrrr* gonna hafta go to th' other end 'a the ship t'even get to the remote portal whatsits."

He pulled up Orion's satellite map, groaning again as he pinpointed their exact location. "I'll see what I can do about delaying it. But you have to get out of there, Chell! If you want, you can take the chassis parts, but..."

"Doc, yer *wwwwhhhhhrrrrrururrurururr*"

There was nothing but static after that, so Doug switched the radio off. Sitting back in his chair, he rubbed his face with both hands, sighing deeply. "Great. Now I have damage control at both ends."

"Sorry," GLaDOS said, not sounding it.

He hurriedly pulled up the signal coordinates from Alyx Vance and sent a greeting.

"What do _you_ want?"

"Look, I'm sorry about my... cohort here. She's still stuck in the past, I guess. It's going to take longer for our friends out there to get their job done, so just... give us a little more time. Please."

Alyx sighed. "Well, I can't in all good conscience blow someone up. Yeah, we'll give ya more time, but not a lot! This place is crawlin' with Combine, and the sooner we drop this ship, the better."

"I understand. Thank you, Miss Vance."

"See?" GLaDOS said as he clicked off the transmission, "that wasn't hard at all. All you had to do was play on human sentimentality."

"No thanks to you." He sighed and rubbed his face again.

"Lack of sleep catching up to you?"

"How did you – oh, I guess you did say you could see us." He rubbed at his eyes. "No, just worried. I won't be able to finish it in time, you know."

"Oh, yes, I know. Just get the crucial parts done. We can finish it later, as long as it looks presentable when she arrives."

"Speaking of which," Doug said as he hailed Atlas and P-Body to move the remote portal wall, "we need to have a discussion about your priorities."

"Do you mean about Chell? No, I fully trust the moron to protect her. I've seen enough to know that he's not about to get himself blown up."

Pausing, Doug looked back at the monitor then turned to the disabled chassis in the middle of the room. "You've changed. A lot. But for the better, I think."

"I didn't ask your opinion," she said casually.

"Oh, good," he snarked in reply. "I was worried you'd changed too much."


	40. The Treasure

The fletchettes tore at Chell's jacket, exposing white fluffy stuffing but thankfully burrowing themselves in a crate behind her instead of in her flesh. She dove behind an ice-crested metal box as the thing roared and charged, launching past her and slamming into the wall. On all fours, she scrambled back to the air vent, only to be rocked to the side of it when the fletchettes exploded.

The Hunter roared again, stomping right behind her, and she quickly buried herself into the vent. She crawled in for a distance before turning around, slowly edging back as the Hunter howled and paced. Peeking from the vent's opening, she saw its thick blue legs tiptoe about as it tried to crouch down far enough to shoot its fletchettes into the vent.

She backed up, trying to stay quiet, hoping it would think she'd left and stalk off elsewhere. She hadn't gotten too good of a look at it, but it looked too much like a Strider for her tastes. It gave her stomach icy spikes unrelated to her surroundings.

But where was Wheatley? Her mind switched between anger and concern. She wished the Hunter would shut up from its groans and growls so she could listen for him.

The damn thing suddenly struck the wall beside her, denting the vent and nearly squishing her. She managed to worm forward out of the way, but now she was nearly in its line of sight. Now she couldn't crawl back through the vents, and the only other option was to face the predator in front of her.

The Hunter gave a loud roar. Something in its electronically-warbled voice hinted at triumph, and Chell shivered in the tunnel. It had her trapped.

Suddenly, chaos erupted into the room. Gunfire, explosions, the smashing of wood and ice, the crunching of metal. The Hunter gave a pained shriek, its footsteps pounding like Chell's heart in her ears, and then there was a long, sad wail and a crash.

Then silence.

"Chell! Oi, where are ya, mate?!"

Chell nearly blasted out of the vent, spotting Wheatley and nearly tackling him in a hug so forceful that he was almost knocked backwards. He could only blink nervously at her and awkwardly pat her back.

"Ah! Oh.. oh, you're awright. Thank God."

She squealed and clung to him as if unable to let go. Which was partially correct: his outer paneling had taken the brunt of some explosions, and her coat had melted to the burned spots. She had to pull away gently in order to prevent excessive damage to her coat.

He was in bad shape. No longer white, he had scorch marks all along his body, and one of the guns on his arm was crunched shut. Chell gaped at him – what had he been _doing _for an hour?

He glanced over at his crushed arm then back at her, looking nervous. "Uh... got bored."

Naturally. She rolled her eyes and scoffed.

"No, but wait! I know how t'kill these little buggers now! Hah, don't even worry 'bout anythin'! I got it all handled!"

Chell smiled at him and nodded. Seeing him was a relief, and it gave her a feeling of warmth despite the freezing chill. She patted his arm, directing him toward the old chassis. He gave a sharp whistle at the sight of the old thing.

"Ain't much to look at, eh? Erm, but, how're we gonna get all 'a _that_ into the portal? Plus, it's halfway 'cross the ship."

Chell slipped off her mitten to point better, gasping as the bitter cold hit her hand. She traced out a square on the chassis, then mimed taking out the parts.

"Oh, I get it. Carve her like... like a pumpkin, right?"

Chell winced. That wasn't exactly the visual she needed. But Wheatley went to work and quickly wrenched the top panel off, exposing a massive display of wires, lights, and circuitboards. It was a mess of old technology, covered in dust even before it had been teleported. She didn't even know where to begin.

"Motherboard's the big'n," Rick said helpfully.

Chell blinked, crouching down a bit and pointing the light of her portal device at the chassis. They _all _looked like the "big'n". Growling with frustration, she looked around the room among the broken debris and found a hefty metal box with a chrome clutch and a handle. She had Wheatley pry it open, dumping the contents, which looked like a first-aid kit, onto the floor.

Removing her other mitten, she carefully pried the circuitboards away from each other and set them gently inside the case. She was vaguely aware that touching them might fry them; older technology was more sensitive like that. Still, she had to take that chance, and she didn't exactly have the proper extraction equipment.

After the case was full, she slipped her gloves back on and shut up the case, taking the portal device in one hand and carrying the case under the other. It was then that she noticed that the portal she'd shot earlier had disappeared. In alarm, she looked at the portal device in her hand, maneuvering her fingers within it. Oh – that button. Doug said it dissipated portals. She must've accidentally pressed it during the Hunter's attack.

Grinding her teeth, she huffed before heading toward the door. Wheatley started.

"Oh, is that it? We're not gonna take her head?"

Chell looked down at the domed monitor. It stared back at her almost piteously, and in her mind, Chell pictured a pained expression on the blank screen as if begging to be picked up. That was so unlike GLaDOS that it was almost sickening. The dome looked like a nun's habit, for goodness' sake!

Chell shook her head vehemently, resisting the urge to crush the stupid-looking monitor, and pushed Wheatley toward the door. As far as she was concerned, she was doing GLaDOS a favor. Plus, she was more than ready to get off of this ship, especially if it was going to blow. She reminded herself that Wheatley didn't know that part yet, not that it was important as long as they got to the other side of the ship in time.

As Wheatley led her through what seemed like endless dark hall after endless dark hall, Chell finally consulted her map. She quickly realized that they were not headed toward the outside entrance and tapped furiously on her portal device for Rick's attention.

Instantly, a few red dots flew up on the yellow map. They were surprisingly far away. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Snowcrash! Where the hell you goin'?"

Wheatley stopped, half-turning as it took him a moment to realize that he was the one being addressed. "Oh! I found somethin'! You're gonna love this!"

"Hey, no! We gotta get outta here! This place's gonna blow in a few!"

"Blow?" Wheatley's optic narrowed and danced nervously. "Wh-who? That Moss woman?"

"I guess the people she's with. We got a message sayin' t'beat feet."

Chell nodded in agreement. Wheatley's optic danced faster. "W-well, how long?"

"Er.. he was gonna try to buy time for us. Haven't heard a word from him since."

Wheatley thought for a second, his optic darting to and fro. "Okay, but just real quick. You've _got_ to see this!"

They really didn't have a choice, since Wheatley had gotten them all turned around. Chell noticed that the path was cleared of any enemies, and some of the doors had been broken open. Dents along the walls also marked a path of destruction, and Chell was left to wonder exactly how 'bored' Wheatley got. However, she didn't see any slain Hunters or live ones for that matter, and she thanked her lucky stars for that.

Finally, they arrived at their destination: a door that looked like every other door in the ship. Chell looked up and down the hallway, puzzled, before glancing in. How Wheatley found this place again without a map was mind-blowing, but Chell had to assume that all things were possible.

She didn't need to light up the room to see what Wheatley wanted to show her. It was a large, glowing crystal, dull matte orange in color, and even standing at the doorway, Chell felt a strange wave of nausea cover her.

"Better not get close t'that, darlin'. S'prolly radioactive or somethin'."

Warped static burst from her portal device, followed by Doug's strained voice. "Chell, I hope you're getting out of there soon. I *bzzzsshhh* them, but they won't wait too long."

"We're just on the way out, Doc," Rick assured. "Soon's China Cabinet here gets done lookin' at gems."

"Gems?" There was a windy whip of hissing as Doug paused. "*kkkrrrkkkk* orange? Size of a basketball?"

"That's what we're lookin' at."

His voice turned frantic. "Chell's not by it, is she? Get her out of there, _now_!"

Wheatley ushered Chell down the hall. Her nausea gradually faded with every step she took.

"What _is _that thing, Doc?" Rick asked after Chell was safely away from it.

"I'm not sure. It's actually not in any of the logs, so it's nothing of ours. The Black Mesa members who are contacting me seem to know *shhshhhrrrrrkkkzzz*. Basically, it's why they're here."

"Good riddance, then," Rick snorted. "Jus' lookin' at that thing gives me the jim-jams."

They burst out of the hallways and climbed above deck in time to see two figures climbing up a ladder to a helicopter. She also noticed new additions to the deck: four large tanks rigged with circuitry. Bombs, Chell realized, her stomach dropping. Each beeped as the seconds passed, and even from a distance she saw that the timers had a very short delay.

They were halfway across the deck when Chell's case fell open, spilling computer components everywhere. She immediately stopped, falling on her hands and knees, sending the portal device skidding over the frozen deck, and she started grabbing for all the parts. Wheatley, realizing she was no longer behind him, skidded to a halt.

"Oi, what're you doing?"

He reclaimed the portal device carefully, making sure it hadn't been damaged, then tried to grab Chell by the hood and pull her up. She grunted as she slapped his hands away, twisting out of his grasp and reaching for more pieces.

She was not going to lose GLaDOS now. She had worked too hard for this.

"Hey!" called a young, female voice from a PA system in the chopper. "Get out of there! You only have two minutes before those things go off!"

No, not yet. There were only a few pieces – no, another over there – and another. She fought Wheatley back again. She could do this. She could.

"Chell, you've got to leave it! This place's about to blow up!"

Calling out in another frustrated grunt, she reached for another board. She wasn't going to leave them behind. Even if Doug thought he had another way of bringing GLaDOS back, she wanted to be sure. These parts. These were a guarantee. But a small voice in the back of her mind reminded her that it wouldn't be worth it if she didn't make it back to Aperture.

"Chell, come _on_!"

"I ain't gonna take sides," shouted Rick over the din of the wind, "but you better choose quick, sweetcakes! Take it or leave it!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> **OKAY, GUYS, THIS IS WHERE YOU COME IN.**

**YOU GET TO DECIDE WHETHER CHELL KEEPS OR DESTROYS GLADOS'S PARTS. PUT IT IN A REVIEW, MESSAGE ME, HIT ME UP ON DA OR TUMBLR, WHATEVER YOU WANNA DO, AND THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL HAVE THE RESULTS OF YOUR ACTIONS!**


	41. Finale: Homecoming

Tears, aided by the icy wind that blew across the deck, stung at Chell's eyes as she grabbed at the pieces of GLaDOS's chassis. The ticking of the bombs was clearer now; they were approaching their final seconds. She didn't dare look. Timers had never been her friend.

She threw off her mittens, exposing her hands to the freezing deck, but grabbing the spilled components with better ease. Solder cut into her fingers, and fiberglass sliced her hands, but she was too cold to feel it, too panicked to care. She couldn't let any single part of GLaDOS escape her.

She spotted the last green board, still sliding from the impact. She crawled toward it, grabbed it, stuck it in the case – and screamed hoarsely as Wheatley grabbed her around the waist. She barely had time to shut the case before he hefted her up, kicking in his rockets as he practically skated toward the deck's door.

"Where are you going?" the young woman called from the chopper. "Get up here! The ship's gonna blow!"

Chell clutched the case closely, looking up and noticing that the ladder was still dangling from the helicopter. Were they insane? That little thing couldn't even take half of Wheatley's weight, and she sure as hell wasn't going to leave him behind. She frantically waved the chopper on as Wheatley opened the door and dragged her inside. He barely set her back on the ground before a fierce blast rocked the ship back and forth, sending them both sliding into each other.

"Hurry, luv! Hurry!"

He handed her back the portal device, and instantly Orion flashed his map, complete with a little dotted trail back to the remote portal wall. She only took two steps before a second blast sent her slamming against the icy wall. The whole ship tilted severely, so much that she was having trouble even walking much less running.

Wheatley grabbed her arm and ushered her along. He was taking huge strides, somewhat mindful of her feet, digging his thick fingers into the wall itself in order to progress. Chell clung to his arm, pulling herself up and out of the way, holding the map out in front of him. They were almost there.

"What the hell was that?!" Doug shouted from the portal device.

"It's blowin' up, doc!" Wheatley cried.

"I'm opening the portal wall. Get out of there – now!"

Even over the din of the cracking ice, the groaning of the ship, Wheatley's thunderous footsteps, and the roar of another explosion, Chell thought she heard GLaDOS's voice: "Is that them? Are they coming? Doug-"

The transmission cut out. Chell whined, urging Wheatley faster, but he was already at the room. By now, the ship was at such an angle that he actually had to climb through the doorway, but the orange glow at the far side was a great comfort to both of them.

Without warning, Chell found herself encased within Wheatley's body. There was a great crack of ice, followed by the glasslike shattering and tinkling of icicles as they fell. The sound of smashing wood told her that crates were falling, and she became aware of a sensation that told her the entire ship was plummeting.

"Hold on, Chell!" Wheatley choked, effort in his voice.

Chell realized that she had nothing to hold on to.

Chell realized that she had nothing to hold on to _including the case._

Immediately, she started banging against Wheatley's insides, crying out hoarsely. When that garnered no reaction, she began slamming herself against what she hoped was the opening, trying to get herself free.

It was throwing Wheatley off-balance, and balance was one thing he needed right now. The ship was in freefall – he knew it just from the feel. The portal wall hung above him, suspended by a cable that was half-buried in ice. The worst part was, the way his body was structured, he could not see directly above himself.

"Ugh," he groaned, faltering momentarily. Chell's movement was making him ill, a feeling he didn't even have the time to consider but severely disliked. "Stop it, luv! I can't really have you doin' that right now!"

It only made Chell pound harder. She wanted out. Suddenly, everything shifted. Ice shattered. Heavy objects crashed all around them. Another, more distant explosion sounded. Then there was silence, a large jolt, and Chell found herself laying sideways.

She felt Wheatley roll on his side, and then his body spat her out. Immediately shaking off the weird feeling, Chell jumped to her feet, only to find that she was no longer in the Borealis. She wasn't in the Central Command Chamber, either. Instead, she found herself in GLaDOS's old chamber, staring up at the long elevator shaft which led to the surface.

"Oh, man," Wheatley gasped, getting to his feet. "Wotta trip! Good thing we're packed, eh?"

Confused, Chell spun to him and suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree. With two fingers squished into the now-broken handle, Wheatley held out the case containing GLaDOS's parts. His half-lidded optic told her that, if possible, he'd have a huge, cheesy smile on his face.

She snatched the case, grinning with joy, and gently set it on the ground before nearly tackling Wheatley in a hug. He leaned back in surprise then patted her shoulder as softly as he could.

"Heh. Thanks, luv. But let's get these to the doc, okay?"

She nodded, snatching the case up again and heading for the door. It was odd that they would end up here, considering they had entered the _Borealis_ in the Central Command Chamber. Chell frowned as she stepped into the silent hallway. True, the Chamber wasn't very far away, but something felt off. Their appearance in the old chamber instead of Central Command was just... odd. And there was an all-encompassing silence that told Chell that there was no one around for quite a distance. Computers hummed, processors whirred, and consoles beeped, but right now all Chell heard was silence echoing off of the metal walls.

Suddenly, Orion let out a soft "Oh!" Chell looked at the portal device. Orion's yellow light flickered as he spoke.

"Io! Message incoming! Uh, um... L-Lab Rat says to come d-downstairs!"

Chell scowled. The silence paired with the movement of the portal wall - she didn't trust that. Not one bit. And although she was warming up to Doug, she was still not above suspecting him. After all, he was the only one there. And the more she thought about it, the more she was sure that she had heard GLaDOS's voice back there. If Doug had done anything to her...

Setting her jaw, Chell slipped off her heavy coat and quickened her pace down the hallway. She turned down the corridor to Central Command – and found herself facing a wall instead. Blinking, she signaled to Wheatley to reverse, and she tried another corridor, a many-branched one that should have led to her room. She was met instead with a single narrow corridor that brought her to an empty office, littered with old papers and debris.

That left them with no other way to travel, at least not on this floor. Fortunately, Chell knew of a way to get downstairs from where they were. At least, it should still get downstairs. The halls may shift and change, but Chell knew the inside of Aperture, behind the walls, like the back of her hand. Most of it was empty space anyway.

She gave a quiet huff and waved Wheatley on, walking until she came to a grate near the floor opposite the elevator room. Lifting it off, she easily slipped through, leaving Wheatley to protest in the hallway. But once inside, she was quickly able to open a second grate, climb out of the vent, and short-wire a wall panel, cracking it open just enough for Wheatley to wedge his fingers in.

In no time, they were both walking along the sturdy catwalks, wary of the booming silence around them and the seemingly endless gorge that lay below. Even with Wheatley's extra weight, Chell found herself more concerned for GLaDOS's well-being than her own – except when the catwalks gave a heavy groan every once in a while.

"Message!" Orion peeped suddenly, his tiny voice echoing through the emptiness. "Oh, no, wait. It's... okay. I g-get it! Lab R-rat says to play this!"

A sultry, smooth man's voice began, accented at the end of every line with a soft chorus. It sounded familiar to Chell, something very long ago, but as usual she could not place exactly what it was.

_On the day I went away... [Goodbye...]  
>Was all I had to say... [Now I...]<em>

Gentle piano echoed through the emptiness. Chell gave an awkward smile and pressed on faster. What was Doug planning? It wasn't as though he could actually efficiently plan some elaborate trick. In fact, he was probably better at getting out of them than creating them.

_I want to come again and stay... [Oh my my...]  
>Smile, and that will mean that I maa~ay<em>

In fact, she and Doug were pretty similar. They had both survived GLaDOS, lived to see her change into the being she was now. And even though he had been somewhat creepy, she couldn't really blame him. Years of loneliness, stuck on the inside, the only other occupants either sleeping humans or a homicidal robot. Yes, that would certainly drain one's ability to properly socialize.

_Cause I've seen blue skies_

_Through the tears  
>In my eyes<br>And I realize.. _

_I'm going home._

And it wasn't as though Chell herself escaped unscarred from that, too. She'd lost her ability to speak, and though she gained a vast and developed knowledge of how to reconcile almost any situation, back in City 04 they had viewed her as slow, dim, vacant. The only ones who seemed to understand her, who thought of her as a thinking and feeling creature rather than some 'damaged goods' that just happened to hang around the city... well, she had returned to them.

_Everywhere it's been the same... [Feeling...]  
>Like I'm outside in the rain... [Wheeling...]<em>

Her feet picked up. She turned down one corridor and another, finally ending at a wall panel that was half-opened. Wheatley pushed it the rest of the way, and they found themselves in a hall littered with old, corroded offices. It was deep within Aperture, a place Chell only remembered visiting before she had killed GLaDOS. The yellowed walls were covered in small scrawlings – Doug's earlier days of sanity, Chell mused. Small poems, pen drawings of animals and faceless people, testing objects like cubes and buttons all littered the halls and doors.

_Free, to try and find a game... [Dealing...]  
>Cards for sorrow, cards for paa~ain...<em>

Suddenly, with a loud boom, the lights at the end of the hall shut off. Chell paused, only for a second, before breaking out in a run. With a series of roaring pops, all of the overhead lamps shut off, one by one, until only Wheatley's optic and Chell's portal device were the only lights.

Orion's music stopped as well, leaving them in silence as well as darkness.

"Wh-what now?" squeaked Wheatley, his voice high with nervousness. Chell frowned a little and shook her head, waving him forward. Together they carefully walked through the hall until they rounded a corner, and far in the distance Chell was able to see a white bar of light. Quickening her pace, she soon realized that the light was coming from behind a set of double doors.

She nearly ran into them and immediately groped the darkness for a handle. Instead, she found two metal panels screwed in, which meant the door pushed open from this side. Pushing it, however, yielded nothing, and after a few moments she gave an exasperated sigh and motioned to Wheatley.

"Erm," he mumbled, fiddling with his fingers. "Sorry, mate. I can't."

She gave another grunt and put her arms out, wordlessly demanding an explanation.

He shrunk back, half-lidding his optic in an embarrassed expression. "W-well, um, hard to explain, really. But it seems I've got _really_, really specific orders _not_ t'break these particular doors down."

Chell's jaw nearly dropped. Just now, he gets orders, and he actually decides to obey them? With a growl, she smacked her forehead. Wheatley mumbled another apology as she prepared to shoulder-slam the door.

"Io, wait!" Orion called, stopping her in mid-shove. She pulled up her device and gave it a look that demanded answers, but the core remained silent. Chell huffed through her nose and prepped herself for another slam, but a burst of music from Orion stopped her.

_Cause I've seen _

_Oh, blue skies _

_Through the tears  
>In my eyes<br>And I realize.. _

_I'm going home._

The door opened a crack, nearly blinding her as the white light filled the hallway.

_I'm going home..._

Chell shielded her eyes as both doors opened. Orion sang out the last strains of the song as a silhouette of a human appeared.

_I'm going ho~ome._

Chell's eyes struggled to adjust, and as they did, the figure in the doorway vanished. Chell stepped into the room, still shielding her eyes as the lights dimmed. She found herself in a mostly-empty conference room. An aged projector screen was unrolled, dimly portraying a brown and distressed Aperture logo. Over that was clumsily painted with still-wet blue and orange gel:

**WELCOME HOME CHELL**

Atlas and P-Body stood in front of it, looking somewhat proud despite being splattered in the makeshift paint. Beside them was an odd-looking construct with a similar body to Atlas, though thinner and more spindly. Chell recognized the nervously-dancing core in its middle as the Fact Sphere.

In the front was Doug, or at least the back of him. He wore his lab coat, and from the way it was fluttering, Chell could tell that he was busy with something. Whatever it was, though, was almost completely blocked by his body.

Which reminded her...

Chell scanned the ceiling for any connection ports or chassis pieces. If Doug had another way of rebuilding GLaDOS and was hiding himself enough to make her traverse through all of Aperture's backyard, he'd better have at least the start of a chassis built. Her hand tightened around the case full of circuitboards, still at her side, and she cleared her throat pointedly.

"Just-just a second," Doug said.

"Oh, for goodness' sake, Doug, just let me see her!"

Chell's vision blurred suddenly, and the room seemed to spin around her at the sound of GLaDOS's voice. The case slipped out of her grasp and banged to the ground, opening and spilling computer components all over the floor. Doug turned, glancing over his shoulder at her, then stood to the side.

"Oh, you got the parts anyway? I said we didn't need them."

She didn't hear a single word that he said. She was too busy digging her fingernails into her palms, trying to wake herself up in case this was a dream. A wide grin spread across her face, tears sparkling at her eyes as she realized that it was not.

The android stood a little taller than Doug, buttoning up her own lab coat and covering up a bare metal black frame before glancing up at Chell. The skin on her face and hands was an odd transparent sort of gray, and Chell could see the darkness of her facial components underneath. Still, it was a face, a unique one, with sparkling yellow eyes and a black-lipped grin. The android brushed away inky black hair that had fallen into her face when she'd looked down.

"My apologies," GLaDOS said, and Chell's heart turned from nervously frozen to dancing with joy. "It was short notice, you understand. And I couldn't very well have you out there freezing forever, could I? So this body is in... well, let's call it a beta stage."

Chell could do nothing more than nod.

"Whoa," Wheatley said lowly. If Chell could speak, she'd certainly echo the sentiment.

"_Intelligent_ observation," she quipped, her yellow eyes focusing on Wheatley. "But all the same, I feel I have you to thank for Chell's safe return. So thank you."

Wheatley's optic narrowed and he twiddled his fingers, speechless for once in his life. Chell chuckled at him, shaking her head and stepping forward. GLaDOS also began to walk, though her steps seemed clunky and slow. Doug kept at her side, ready to catch her at a moment's notice.

"Again, I apologize. Balance is – ah!" She gave a small yelp as she almost tripped, catching Doug's arm and steadying herself. "- not something I was programmed to do. I suppose Caroline thought she was helping me, but that's a story for later. Right now, I am just happy to see you."

Caroline? Chell didn't allow her smile to falter, but she told herself to remember to bring that story up again. What had GLaDOS gone through, she wondered. This time, it was not a black box full of unpleasant memories. It sounded more like an afterlife, and Chell was most curious. But, as GLaDOS had said, it was a tale for later.

An arm's length from Chell, GLaDOS tripped again, falling forward, panic shifting on her face. Quickly, Chell dived in, slipping her arms under GLaDOS's, supporting the android's weight and, at the same time, pulling her into a tight embrace, not even caring about the bony and uncomfortable frame under the lab coat. She hugged her and buried her face in the odd-feeling silicone of GLaDOS's neck and let out a small hiccup of a sob.

GLaDOS took a second to right herself before her arms curled loosely around Chell's back. Her embrace felt as though she lacked the strength to complete the action, or at least unable to yet determine the amount of power necessary. Her hand carefully moved to the back of Chell's head, cradling it gently.

"Funny," GLaDOS murmured. "You caught _me_ this time."

Chell didn't question the meaning. She merely hugged the android tighter.

"Hey!" It took Chell a moment to realize that the indignant voice was Rick. "How come Brainiac there gets a body an' all I get is this lousy portal gun!?"

With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, GLaDOS took the ASHPD out of Chell's grip and handed it to Doug. Chell giggled dryly, wiping tears from her cheeks. She had always been careful not to let GLaDOS see her cry, even when they were allies, but now, she couldn't seem to stop the tears from gathering in her eyes.

After making sure GLaDOS was all right standing on her own, Chell stepped back and made a wide, horizontal circle with her hand. She then motioned with a simple wave to each of them. To Wheatley, who had instilled in her so much fear but in the end had saved her more times than she could count. To Atlas and P-Body, strangers when she'd left the facility but now dear friends. To the portal device in Doug's hand, containing the cores who had risked everything to help her, even if they had done so without a choice. To Doug himself, an unexpected surprise and a mystery, but one that Chell had learned to trust – even if he was kind of weird sometimes. Finally, she motioned to GLaDOS, the catalyst of every event, the alpha and omega of Chell's life. Then pushed both hands downwards, as if telling all of them to stay put.

"We're all staying here," GLaDOS confirmed. "One big, _mostly_ dysfunctional but more-or-less safe, and happy family."

Chell nodded. She liked the sound of it. GLaDOS hugged her again, a little tighter and more confidently this time. Chell could hear the small whirrs and clicks from inside her frame. To her, it was a good sound, a sound that meant GLaDOS had sacrificed something she'd considered important for the sake of having a family. It meant that GLaDOS actually cared – was capable of caring – for her and the rest of them here. It was an incredible sound, like a heartbeat, that told her that GLaDOS was still alive.

And for once, that was a good thing.

"I've been waiting to say it for a long time now," GLaDOS said, holding the girl at arm's length. "I didn't know if I would get the chance. Hmph, I didn't even know that I really _wanted_ to say it. But I do. And here it is:"

It was not a biting remark or a witty quip. Not a comment on how disheveled Chell's hair was or how moronic Wheatley was to have gotten his new body dirty. Instead, GLaDOS spoke three words. Three words that meant the world to the human who, for so long, felt out of place everywhere that she had gone.

"Welcome home, Chell."

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><p><strong>AN: Wow, guys. Over a year since I first wrote the first chapter of this story. Now I sit here, 89k words later, 67,000 views later, and... it's done! Hah. I've proven to myself that i can write something a novel's length AND finish it - so now i'm off to do my novel!<strong>

**I hope I've also proven that just because a story doesn't romantically pair up two people doesn't make it a bad or boring story, either. No one found love here, but everyone found something else. You don't need romance to make a good story. **

**Now, here's a list of people responsible for this whole mess:**

**Kiwi (Kiwikiwi3, littlekiwi37) for putting up with the text wall that was this story's first chapter via AIM**

**PiFactory for last-minute edits and wonderful, wonderful beta-ing**

**AltairAttorney/Ely for being my biggest fan and for writing the beautiful song that GLaDOS sang to Chell – and for singing that song, too!**

**Yoruna, Yumikay17, Shapeform, Jaime, Harpy, and Poptart and dozens of others for distracting me.**

**ALL OF YOU for reading, promoting, reviewing, faving, and just being awesome in general. Keep doing that.**

**FreefallSway for being an incredible partner and emergency beta and for being the love of my life.**

**Thank you so much for reading, and see you next time X3**


	42. Bonus Chapter

**AN: Welcome to the bonus chapter! This story is NOT canon; it is completely independent from the rest of the tale. It's just a bit of a parody of the importance of romance/shipping in a story. Oh, and remember: I don't think shipping/pairing is 'wrong'. I just don't think it needs to be an excuse to read or enjoy a story. Enjoy!**

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><p>"She loves me," GLaDOS said with a grin. "I mean, come on. She went to the ends of the earth just to bring me back. What else do you call that?"<p>

"Oh, please. Just because she respects you doesn't make it love." Doug huffed, crossing his arms. "And you're not even human. Need I remind you who built that body of yours?"

"Speaking of," Wheatley said, his optic narrowed in annoyance, "when're you gonna build a new body for me like that?"

"Never!" the other two answered at the same time.

Wheatley huffed. "Anyway, she likes me best. Loves, even. Gave me so many hugs due to all the times I saved her. _Saved_ her, I did. Any of you do that? _And_ she cried when I came back."

"Well, she cried when I came back," GLaDOS retorted.

"I think you both are forgetting something," Doug interrupted. "I'm human; I'm the only one who can give her what she needs. Warmth. Compassion. Tenderness. Respect."

"Oh, please!" GLaDOS laughed. "She thinks you're a creep!"

"Not any more!" Doug sulked. "She respects me now. Just the other day, she and I were working on a new robotics project, _together_, and she was totally okay with me being close to her."

"Doesn't mean she wants you, mate."

"It's a good start."

"Need I remind you how old you are?" GLaDOS said.

"Need _I_ remind _you_ that she'll die long before you decide you've had enough of living?" Doug retorted.

GLaDOS fell silent at this, but only for a moment. "I can clone her."

"Right. I'm sure she'll enjoy that. Replicating her body and using her like a disposable razor. Or maybe you'll put her brain in a computer? She'll just _love_ that."

"And what kind of future are you going to give her? You'll just die in a decade or so anyway."

"I'm not _that_ old! Give me a few decades, at least!" He smirked, leaning back. "And I'll be sure to leave her a happy widow, be sure about that."

Wheatley held up his hands. "I think you two're forgettin' something really important."

"And what's that?"

The blue optic gave an expression of haughty triumph. "That Chell is in love with _me_!"

The trio continued to bicker and argue, filling the empty corridors with voice and dissension. Meanwhile, up on the surface, Chell lay on a red-and-white blanket, arms folded behind her head, smiling as she enjoyed the warm sunshine on her body. Beside her sat Cube, and on top of it sat her portal device. Orion was playing a cheerful song, an instrumental version of "Walking on Sunshine".

She loved her family. She just kept thinking about all of them. How she could never prefer one over the other, how they'd all done their equal share of work to help her and, to a greater extent, help each other. GLaDOS took care of Doug's episodes, and Doug had built Wheatley's body, and Wheatley had helped with GLaDOS's mission against the Combine.

Closing her eyes, she let out a small squeak as her chest swelled with joy. How wonderful it was to have a family, even such a weird one like hers! Everyone cared and depended on each other, and they all loved her and she all loved them. And nothing could be better.

Nothing except...

With another squeak, Chell rolled over, remembering the entire reason she was here. She gave a gentle rap on Cube's side, and it obligingly popped open, revealing its compartment. Chell pulled out a large and moist and delicious slice of chocolate cake, licking her lips at the sight of it.

She sat up on the surface, warmed by the sun, eating her cake and feeling like the luckiest girl in the world.


End file.
